5 NFL players you forgot played with Tom Brady ft. Darrelle Revis
For most of Tom Brady’s career, he’s received the lion's share of the credit for his team’s success.
Few can argue that Brady deserves those levels of praise and more. With seven Super Bowl rings in ten appearances and nearly two decades of picking apart high-level defenses, Brady is considered by many to be the greatest of all time.
Still, even with his long list of achievements, he hasn’t done it alone. While he hasn’t always had some of the more notable names on his side of the roster, many of his teammates have carved out their own Hall of Fame nitch.
Players such as Randy Moss have already entered those hallowed halls. Others, such as Rob Gronkowski and Chandler Jones, are set to make their appearance when eligible.
Outside of those obvious names, who are the other Hall-of-Famers did Tom Brady has played with? Let’s find out.
#5 Richard Seymour
Bill Belichick’s tenure as the head coach of the New England Patriots brought in plenty of success. But even with Belichick being considered the greatest coach of all time by many, he’s been awful at times in terms of drafting talent.
Of course, there are a few outliers. Tom Brady was infamously taken in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. And, for some inexplicable reason, franchises allowed Rob Gronkowski to slip into the second round of the 2010 draft and into the waiting arms of the Patriots.
Regardless of those home run selections, Belichick has often struggled on draft day. Be that as it may, the much-maligned head coach did a wonderful job in drafting defensive end Richard Seymour in 2001.
In eight incredibly productive seasons in New England, Seymour hounded countless quarterbacks. He played an instrumental role on three Patriots championship teams.
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In total, Seymour was a seven-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, and simply a menace when he was out on the field.
#4 Ty Law
Long before Tom Brady came waltzing into town and delivered one Lombardi Trophy after another, Ty Law attempted to make the team a contender. He put in everything he had to singlehandedly lift the New England Patriots onto his shoulders and into the promised land.
Law’s exploits on the field were incredible, with the 1998 season where he registered a league-leading nine interceptions standing out. However, New England never truly materialized into title contenders.
Ultimately, it took a baby-faced Tom Brady during the 2001 season to change Law’s championship luck. As a pair, the two combined for two titles in three seasons in the early 2000s. To Law’s credit, he did much more than just ride Brady's coattails to those championship trophies.
Officially, Law was selected to five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro squads, and was a member of the All-2000s Team before being enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2014.
#3 Darrelle Revis
Officially, Darrelle Revis will be eligible for the Hall of Fame a year from now as he headlines a star-studded defensive class in 2023. Considering his credentials, we’ll go out on a limb by saying Revis will be a first-ballot entrant.
Throughout most of his tenure in the NFL, he is remembered for shutting down the opposing team's top receiver as a member of the New York Jets. On a weekly basis, Revis stalked his opposition, playing airtight defense and forcing quarterbacks to look toward their second and third options.
As he grew older in age, he became a mercenary of sorts, offering his services to the highest bidder.
With the New England Patriots desperate to return to championship glory, Revis proved to be the final piece of their title puzzle in 2014. On the year, he was selected to his sixth Pro Bowl, as well as his fourth and final All-Pro team.
In the end, Revis and Brady partnered for only a single season. It left many wondering whether they could have pilfered more Lombardi Trophies if they stuck together.
#2 Junior Seau
Junior Seau’s name appeared on the back of the New England Patriots uniform during the late 2000s. However, the pernicious and heavy-hitting linebacker was essentially a shell of his former self.
Despite his diminished production alongside Brady, Seau had forged a Hall of Fame level career long before the pair teamed up from 2006 to 2009.
During his deleterious pass-rushing and ball-hawking days in San Diego, Seau was practically impossible to shake as an offensive player. He emerged as the premier defensive force in the NFL for over a decade once Lawrence Taylor began losing his defensive luster in the early 1990s.
Seemingly ubiquitous on the field, Seau was quick enough to force opposing quarterbacks into making mistakes, resulting in interceptions. He was also one of the strongest players around, routinely shedding defenders as he made his way to those very signal-callers.
With 12 Pro Bowl selections and six All-Pro teams under his belt, Seau is certainly in the discussion to be among the greatest defensive players of all-time.
#1 Adam Vinatieri
Though each player on a football field is believed to play a salient role in their team’s success, seldom are kickers ever given that recognition. This was the case for Adam Vinatieri as well.
He was at the heart of the New England Patriots team when they began their dynastic run in the early 2000s, winning three titles in four years. In most instances, Vinatieri remained glued to the sidelines as New England marched up and down the field. However, when called upon, he came up clutch.
In three of his four Super Bowl wins, Vinatieri placed the proverbial nail in his opponent's coffin. He pushed the Patriots to a three-point victory in every single Super Bowl he was a part of.
In addition to his championship trophy case being filled to the brim, Vinatieri ranks near the top of roughly every statistical category for a kicker. He is notably second in extra made points with 874 and 29th in field goal percentage at 83.7%.
Formally, Vinatieri hasn’t yet reached those Hall of Fame gates. However, once he becomes eligible, he’s a lock to get in on the first ballot.