Tom Brady was a 6th pick for the New England Patriots, the 199th player taken in overall. Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin was drafted before him and the Jets' Chad Pennington also. Tom Brady was discovered by Dick Rehbein, a former Greenbay Packers, New York Giants and New England Patriots' assistant coach. When he saw Brady playing quarterback for Michigan he called his wife and told her, "this kid I saw is going to be a household name that people mention in the same breath as Joe Montana, Bart Starr."
When Tom Brady was hired by the New England Patriots they already had Drew Bledsoe, a bonafide star. Early in Brady's second season (2001) Bledsoe was injured by a New York Jets Linebacker, Mo Lewis. Brady who had thrown one regular-season to that point, went on to lead the New England Patriots to the first of 3 Super Bowl Championships. Dick Rehbein died of a heart attack during a stress test and his heart would not restart. He never coached Brady's 2nd season. Many people eventually got involved in hiring Tom Brady, but Dick Rehbein was the first.