Drew Bledsoe

Drew McQueen Bledsoe (born February 14, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots. He served as New England’s starting quarterback from 1993 to 2001 and was considered the face of the Patriots franchise during his nine seasons with the team.

The first overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, Bledsoe helped improve the fortunes of the Patriots, who had fallen on hard times. Under his tenure as starting quarterback, the Patriots ended a seven-season postseason drought, qualified for the playoffs four times, and appeared in Super Bowl XXXI. He was also named to three Pro Bowls and became the youngest quarterback to play in the NFL’s all-star game at the time with his 1995 appearance.

Following a period of declining success and two consecutive seasons when the Patriots missed the playoffs, Bledsoe suffered a near-fatal injury early in the 2001 season and was replaced as starter by backup Tom Brady. After he was medically cleared to play, Bledsoe was unable to regain his starting position due to Brady’s success, with six Super Bowl titles ensuing during Tom Brady’s career with the Patriots. Bledsoe subsequently retired after short stints with the Buffalo Bills, where he made a fourth Pro Bowl appearance, and the Dallas Cowboys.

While his tenure with the Patriots would ultimately be eclipsed by Brady, Bledsoe is recognized for helping rebuild the franchise, including leading the team to victory in the 2001 AFC Championship after Brady was injured en route to their first Super Bowl win. For his accomplishments in New England, he was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011.