Before Tom Brady came along, the history of New England Patriots quarterbacks and the Super Bowl was a story best forgotten.
Tony Eason was at the helm with the Pats were embarrassed 46-10 by the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. Drew Bledsoe, Brady’s predecessor, lost 35-21 to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI.
Brady’s record six Super Bowl wins and nine appearances will forever make him a legend in Foxborough. However, even if Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defy the Super Bowl betting odds and defeat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, he’ll still have some work to do in order to be the most successful ex-Pats QB in Super Bowl history.
That’s because Jim Plunkett quarterbacked two Super Bowl-winning teams after leaving New England.
Different Beginnings
Plunkett and Brady were both California high school quarterbacks who went to prominent colleges. Plunkett stayed in the state and went to Stanford, while Brady headed for the midwest and Michigan. And that’s where their paths diverged.
After a so-so freshman campaign, Plunkett became a star for the Cardinal, rewriting the PAC-8 passing record book, culminating in his 1970 Heisman Trophy win.
“The best college football player I’ve ever seen,” Washington State coach Jim Sweeney said of Plunkett.
“He’s the best pro quarterback prospect I’ve ever seen,” added UCLA coach Tommy Prothro.
[Read more…] about That Other Ex-Pats QB Was Pretty Good In Super Bowls