2000 Bowman Chrome Refractor Tom Brady ROOKIE #236 PSA 10 GEM MINT

As Tom Brady rides off into the sunset as a seven-time Super Bowl champion, three-time NFL MVP, and arguably the greatest quarterback in the storied history of the NFL, fans might have forgotten that his career almost ended at Michigan. Even after leading the Wolverines to a Big Ten Conference title and a pair of bowl victories, Brady feared his football dreams would never come to fruition—and for good reason. Talent evaluators displayed a lukewarm reaction to the 22-year-old's pro potential, with many believing his best-case scenario was a career as a backup. “Has the size but not enough arm,” said a QB coach. “Like him. Just wish he was a better athlete,” said a general manager. But the scouts held nothing back, with one giving a particularly brutal evaluation of Brady: “Awful. Not even on my board. Weak. He’ll make somebody a good husband or a good medical salesman.” With his NFL future in doubt, Brady did the only thing a college kid could do to prepare for the real world: update his résumé. During the summers before his junior and senior seasons, Brady interned as an assistant to the senior sales broker at Merril Lynch in Ann Arbor. Like most college kids, Brady loaded his application with buzzwords that attempted to make office busywork seem as important as a high-level FBI job. “Programmed inventory control and reporting systems for clientele.” “Researched stock and mutual fund reports while updating client portfolios.” “Gained knowledge of broker activity and day-to-day administrative duties.” Basically, he worked as a gofer. But according to Oliver Owens, Brady’s boss at Merril, the future NFL star worked harder than anyone, even as an intern—and he let his coworkers know it. Brady’s internship coincided with a boom period in the stock market, and he noticed that many financial advisors he worked alongside slacked off. “One day, I remember him kind of throwing up his arms and saying, ‘Doesn’t anyone do any work around here?!’” Owens recalled. He also revealed that Brady constantly looked for things to do around the office, eager to learn as much about the job as possible. Owens rewarded his enthusiasm by letting Brady organize his Rolodex. At the end of the summer of 1999, Owens spoke with Brady about his career options, explaining that finance would provide him with more stability and financial security than football. “You have to think about your long-term future,” Owens told him. As it turned out, Brady had given it some thought. Owens still has that old Rolodex, though today, he keeps it on his desk as a conversation piece—after all, how many people can say Tom Brady spent the better part of two summers organizing their files and phone numbers? Most quarterbacks with a sixth-round draft projection would be thrilled to have a high-paying finance job in their back pocket, but Brady never considered giving up on his NFL dream. Through sheer force of will, Brady secured a spot on a Patriots roster that already featured three quarterbacks—and by season’s end, only Drew Bledsoe stood between the Michigan product and one of the most remarkable careers in sports history. Collectors should let nothing stand between them and this 2000 Bowman Chrome rookie. Beyond its standing as Brady’s quintessential first-year issue, this card ranked as one of the most difficult pulls from the set. While standard Refractor parallels fell 1:12 packs or two per hobby box, rookie Refractors featured pull odds of 1:281. Factor in the set’s extensive 115-player rookie class, and a collector’s chances of hitting a Tom Brady Refractor were about as good as a sixth-round QB becoming the greatest NFL player of all time. Of the 140 examples of this card reviewed by PSA, only seven have graded Gem Mint, making this PSA 10 example undoubtedly one of the most valuable Tom Brady rookies to hit the market. This card offers more than a conversation piece: industry heavyweights will tune in as the timer on this Premier Auction prize ticks down to zero. Owning this card might deserve the top spot on the winning bidder’s résumé.

This item was flash inserted on Feb 4, 2023.