Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. (born July 18, 1979) is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.

Branch has also played for the Seattle Seahawks. Branch was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005, after tying former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice and former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Dan Ross for the Super Bowl reception record with 11 catches for 133 yards. He was the first receiver to win the award since 1989 when Jerry Rice had his 11 catch game.^[1]

Early years[link]

Branch was born in Albany, Georgia. He attended Monroe Comprehensive High School in Albany, where he lettered in both football and track and field.

College career[link]

Junior college[link]

After graduating from high school, Branch attended Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi, where he played football for two seasons. As a freshman in 1997, Branch caught 37 passes for 639 yards and five touchdowns, and also returned 14 kickoffs for a 23.6 yard average. In 1998, Branch had 70 receptions for 1,012 yards and nine touchdowns, while also returning 15 punts for a 12.8 yard average and 17 kickoffs for a 19.6 yard average. His sophomore performance earned him second-team All-American honors.

University of Louisville[link]

Branch played two seasons for John L. Smith at the University of Louisville beginning in 2000. As a junior, Branch started ten games and led the team with 71 receptions for 1,016 yards and nine touchdowns. His 6.45 catches per game ranked six in the nation. The Cardinals finished the 2000 season with a record of 9-3, won the Conference USA Football Championship and went to the 2000 Liberty Bowl where Branch had a Liberty Bowl record 10 catches for 170 yards and 1 TD reception in their 22-17 loss to Colorado State. He was named an All-Conference USA first-team selection in addition to being voted the Cardinals' Most Valuable Player and Outstanding Offensive Performer.

As a senior in 2001, Branch again led the team in catches with 72, recording a conference-best 1,188 yards as well as nine touchdowns. He also returned 10 punts for 112 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown return. The Cardinals finished the 2001 season with a record of 11-2, won the Conference USA Football Championship again and went to the 2001 Liberty Bowl where Branch had a 34 yard TD reception in their 28-10 win against BYU. He was again named a first-team All-Conference USA selection following the season.^[2]

Professional career[link]

New England Patriots[link]

Branch was drafted by the Patriots in the second round (65th overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft. In his rookie season in 2002, Branch started 7 of 13 games played for the Patriots, missing the final three games of the regular season with a leg injury. He finished the season with 43 catches for 489 yards and two touchdowns, ranking him third on the team behind Troy Brown and David Patten. On special teams, Branch led the Patriots with 36 kickoff returns for 863 yards and added two punts returns for 58 yards. In Week 4 against the San Diego Chargers, Branch caught 13 passes, the second-highest single-game total by a rookie in NFL history.

In 2003, Branch started 11 of 15 games played for the Patriots, missing only the team's Week 6 game against the Tennessee Titans with an injury. He led the team with 57 catches for 803 yards, recording first downs on 40 of his receptions, 24 of which came on third down. In the Patriots' victory in Super Bowl XXXVIII over the Carolina Panthers, Branch caught 10 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. His 17-yard catch on the final drive with seconds remaining set-up Adam Vinatieri's game-winning 41-yard field goal.

Branch returned in 2004 to start the Patriots' first two games of the season before suffering a leg injury in the first half of the team's Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals. He would not return until Week 11, starting every remaining game and finishing the regular season with 35 receptions for 454 yards and four touchdowns. Branch had a 60-yard touchdown catch in the Patriots' AFC Championship game win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning him NFL Offensive Player of Championship Sunday honors. Two weeks later, in Super Bowl XXXIX, Branch tied a Super Bowl record with 11 catches for 133 yards. He was named Super Bowl MVP, the first receiver to do so since 1989. The Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles for Branch's second Super Bowl ring.

In 2005, Branch played in 16 games (15 starts) for the first time, setting career highs with 78 receptions for 998 yards and five touchdowns. In the Patriots' Divisional playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, Branch had 8 catches for 153 yards, including a former career-long catch of 73 yards.

2006 holdout and trade[link]

Following the 2005 season, Branch entered the final year of his five-year rookie contract signed in 2002, with his base salary scheduled to be $1.045 million in 2006. In May 2006, the Patriots offered Branch a three-year contract extension through 2009.^[3] The offer had a $4 million signing bonus and $4 million option bonus. In base salaries, he would have received $1.4 million in 2007, $4.3 million in 2008, and $4.75 million in 2009.^[3]

Branch during his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks

It was the last formal contract discussion between the two sides, leading Branch to hold out of the team's mandatory June minicamp, training camp, and the preseason.^[3]

On August 25, 2006, the Patriots announced that Branch was given permission to seek a trade and negotiate a contract with other teams through September 1, 2006.^[3] Both the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets made trade offers to the Patriots, but neither trade was consummated before the September 1 deadline.^[3] After the deadline passed, Branch filed two grievances against the Patriots with the NFL claiming the Patriots did not bargain in good faith and did not trade him after being offered a second-round selection by another team.^[3]

Branch remained on the team's Reserve/Did Not Report list through the first week of the regular season. By not reporting, Branch was fined over $600,000 by the Patriots.^[3]

On September 11, 2006, the Patriots traded Branch to the Seahawks for a first-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft.^[3] Branch subsequently signed a six-year, $39 million contract extension with the Seahawks.^[3]

On the same day as the trade, the Patriots filed tampering charges against the Jets, claiming that the Jets revealed the Patriots' trade proposal to Branch in the process of their contract negotiations, compromising the Patriots' negotiating position.^[3] In February 2007, the NFL cleared the Jets of the tampering charges.^[4]

Seattle Seahawks[link]

After being traded to Seattle, Branch played in the final 14 games of the season for the Seahawks in 2006, starting 13 of them. He finished the season ranked second on the team with 53 receptions for 725 yards and four touchdowns. He added 8 catches for 96 yards in the team's two playoff games.

Branch had 343 yards for the Seahawks in the first five games (all starts) of the 2007 season, before suffering a foot sprain and not returning until Week 11. He went on to start six more games before a strained right calf kept him out of the team's Week 17 game against the Atlanta Falcons and their Wild Card playoff win over the Washington Redskins.^[5] He returned for the Seahawks' loss to the Green Bay Packers the next week but did not record a reception. He finished the regular season third on the team with 49 catches for 661 yards and four touchdowns.

In 2008, Branch missed eight of the first nine games to injury but started the team's other seven games. He finished the season fourth on the team with 30 catches for 412 yards and four touchdowns. He returned in 2009 to play in 14 games (five starts), recording 45 catches for 437 yards and two touchdowns.

Branch began his final season in Seattle in 2010 by starting three of the team's first four games, catching 13 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown.

Second stint with the New England Patriots[link]

Branch in 2011

On October 11, 2010, Branch was traded back to the Patriots for a fourth-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.^[6] The pick was to be the higher of the Patriots' 2011 fourth-round selections, their own pick or the Denver Broncos selection acquired in an earlier trade involving running back Laurence Maroney; the Broncos selection was higher. The move reunited Branch with former quarterback Tom Brady and came less than a week after the Patriots traded All-Pro receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings for a third-round draft selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.

In his first game back with the Patriots, Branch had 9 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown in an overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens. On Thanksgiving, Week 12, against the Detroit Lions, Branch had a career long 79-yard touchdown catch from Brady in the third quarter, and added a 22-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter in a Patriots win. Two weeks later, against the Chicago Bears, Branch caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from Brady at the end of the first half of a Patriots victory.

In 11 games (nine starts) with the Patriots in 2010, Branch had 48 receptions for 706 yards and five touchdowns.

In 2011, Branch had five touchdown receptions and 702 receiving yards. He became a free agent after the season and re-signed on March 22, 2012.^[7]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Deion Branch

• New England Patriots bio
• Seattle Seahawks bio

Tom Brady

Brady in December 2007.
No. 12     New England Patriots
Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: (1977-08-03) August 3, 1977 (age 34)
Place of birth: San Mateo, California
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight: 225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school: Junípero Serra
College: Michigan
NFL Draft: 2000 / Round: 6 / Pick: 199
Debuted in 2000 for the New England Patriots
Career history
New England Patriots (2000–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
7× Pro Bowl (2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) 2× First-team All-Pro (2007, 2010) 1× Second-team All-Pro (2005) 3× Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) 2× Super Bowl MVP (XXXVI, XXXVIII) 5× AFC Champion (2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011) Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2005) Sporting News Sportsman of the Year (2004, 2007) AP Male Athlete of the Year (2007) 2× AP NFL MVP (2007, 2010) 2× AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2007, 2010) 3× AFC Offensive Player of the Year (2007, 2010, 2011) NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2009) New England Patriots All-time leader (Passing touchdowns) NFL 2000s All-Decade Team List of his accomplishments
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011
Pass attempts 5,321 Pass completions 3,397 Percentage 63.8 TD–INT 300–115 Passing yards 39,979 QB Rating 96.4 Stats at NFL.com

Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.

In Brady's ten seasons as a starter, the Patriots have earned trips to the Super Bowl in half of them (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII, and XLVI), winning three of them (XXXVI, XXXVIII, and XXXIX). He has also won two Super Bowl MVP awards (XXXVI and XXXVIII), has been selected to seven Pro Bowls (and invited to eight, although he declined the 2006 invitation), and holds the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a single regular season. His career postseason record is 16–5. He also helped set the record for the longest consecutive win streak in NFL history with 21 straight wins over two seasons (2003–04),^[1] and in 2007 he led the Patriots to the first undefeated regular season since the institution of the 16-game schedule. Brady has the fourth-highest career passer rating of all time (96.4) among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 career passing attempts.

Brady and Joe Montana are the only two players in NFL history to win the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Super Bowl MVP awards multiple times (2 NFL MVPs, 2 Super Bowl MVPs). Brady and John Elway are the only two quarterbacks to lead their teams to five Super Bowls. In 2005, he was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, and was named "Sportsman of the Year" by The Sporting News in 2004 and 2007.^[2] He was also named the NFL MVP in 2007 and 2010 (becoming the first player to be unanimously chosen as MVP in the 2010 season) as well as 2007 Male Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press, the first time an NFL player has been honored since Joe Montana won in 1990.^[3]

Brady holds numerous regular season and postseason records, including: most touchdown passes in a regular season (50); highest touchdown-to-interception ratio in a single season (9:1); highest single-game completion percentage, regular season or postseason (26/28, 92.9%); most consecutive pass attempts without an interception (358); most consecutive regular-season home wins (31);^[4] highest winning percentage of any quarterback during his first 100 starts (76 wins); most completions in one Super Bowl (32); longest streak of games with 3 or more touchdown passes (10 games); and most career completions in Super Bowl history (127), most career yards in Super Bowl history (1,275), longest streak of completions in a single Super Bowl (16), most touchdown passes in a quarter (5); most touchdown passes in a half of a playoff game (5), and most touchdown passes in a playoff game (6, tied). Brady is the fourth-fastest player to reach 200 career passing touchdowns (he did so in 116 games), and the first ever to reach this mark before throwing 100 career interceptions (he had 88). He is only the sixth player to reach 300 career passing touchdowns, and his interception total at the time (115) was the lowest of anyone to reach it by a significant margin. He is the only quarterback to lead five different teams to at least 13 wins in a season and four different teams to at least 14 wins in a season. His winning percentage in the regular season (.780) is the best all-time of the Super Bowl era by a significant margin. He is the only quarterback to record two seasons with a passer rating over 110.0 and is the only quarterback to record two straight seasons with a passer rating over 105.0.

He and Bill Belichick have also combined to form one of the greatest quarterback-coach tandems in NFL history, winning 124 regular season games and 16 postseason games together, as well as appearing in five Super Bowls together, all NFL records. Considering his many achievements, and his late draft selection (6th round, 199th selection), many analysts, including those at the NFL Network, have called Brady the best NFL draft pick (or draft steal) of all time, as well as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.^[5][6][7][8] Before the 2011 season, his fellow players voted him the best player in the NFL.^[9]

Early years[link]

Brady was born near San Francisco in San Mateo, California, the son of Galynn Patricia (née Johnson) and Thomas Brady, Sr.^[10] He was raised in a Catholic family of exceptionally gifted athletes, and is of Irish and Prussian-German descent.^{[11][12][13][14]} Brady regularly attended 49ers games in the 1980s, where he became a fan of quarterback Joe Montana; since then, Brady has mentioned Montana as one of his inspirations and an idol.^[15] One of the games Brady attended was the 1981 NFC Championship, in which Montana threw The Catch to Dwight Clark, with Brady only being four-years-old at the time.^[16]

Brady graduated from Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, California.^[17] He has three older sisters.^[18] Brady was also drafted as a catcher in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the Montreal Expos.^[19]

College career[link]

Brady played college football for, and graduated from, the University of Michigan.^[20][21] He was a backup his first two years, while teammate and future NFL quarterback Brian Griese led the Wolverines to a share of the national championship in 1997 in the Rose Bowl. When he enrolled at Michigan, Brady was seventh on the depth chart and had an intense struggle to get some playing time. At one point, Brady hired a sports psychologist to help him cope with frustration and anxiety and even considered transferring to Cal.^[22][23] Brady battled for the starting job with Drew Henson,^[21] ultimately starting every game in the 1998 and 1999 seasons under Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr. During his first full year as starter, he set Michigan records for most pass attempts and completions in a season (214).^[24] Brady was All-Big Ten (honorable mention) both seasons and team captain his senior year. The Wolverines won 20 of 25 games when he started and shared the Big Ten Conference title in 1998. Brady capped that season with a win over Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl.^[25] In the 1999 season, Brady led Michigan to an overtime win in the Orange Bowl over Alabama, throwing for 369 yards and four touchdowns.^[21]

Professional career[link]

2000 season[link]

Brady was selected with pick #199, a compensatory pick, in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. According to Michael Holley's book Patriot Reign, the Patriots were considering Brady and Tim Rattay, both of whom had received positive reviews from then-quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein. Ultimately, the Patriots front office chose Brady. Even though the Patriots drafted a future superstar in the next to last round, the class of 2000 was a mediocre vintage for quarterbacks. Brady, Chad Pennington and Marc Bulger were the only ones to see success at the NFL level.

The Patriots made the unusual decision to carry four quarterbacks (instead of three) on the roster. Brady started the season as the fourth string quarterback, behind starter Drew Bledsoe and backups John Friesz and Michael Bishop; by season's end, he was number two on the depth chart behind Bledsoe. During his rookie season, he was 1-of-3 passing, for six yards.

2001 season[link]

The Patriots opened the season with a 23–17 loss at Cincinnati, with Bledsoe as the starting quarterback. Their second game, and home opener, on September 23, was against their AFC East rival, the New York Jets. Bledsoe was again the starter, when in the fourth quarter he suffered internal bleeding after a hit from Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. Bledsoe returned for the next series, but was replaced with Brady for the Patriots' final series of the game. New York would hold on to win, 10–3, and the Patriots fell to 0–2 on the season.^[26]

Brady was named the starter for the season's third game, against the Indianapolis Colts. In his first two games as starter, Brady posted unspectacular passer ratings of 79.6 and 58.7, respectively, in a 44–13 victory over the Colts (in their last season in the AFC East) and a 30–10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.^[27]

In the Pats' fifth game, Brady began to find his stride. Trailing the visiting San Diego Chargers 26–16 in the fourth quarter, Brady led the Patriots on two scoring drives to force overtime, and another in overtime to set up a winning field goal. Brady finished the game with 33 pass completions on 54 attempts, for 364 yards, and two touchdowns.^[28] The following week, Brady again played well during the rematch at Indianapolis, with a passer rating of 148.3 in a 38–17 win.^[29] The Patriots went on to win 11 of the 14 games Brady started, and six straight to finish the regular season, winning the AFC East and entering the playoffs with a first-round bye. Brady finished with 2,843 passing yards and 18 touchdowns and earned an invitation to the Pro Bowl.

In Brady's first playoff game, against the Oakland Raiders, he threw for 312 yards and led the Patriots back from a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit to send the game to overtime, where they won on an Adam Vinatieri field goal. A controversial play in that game came when, trailing by three in the fourth quarter, Brady lost control of the ball after being hit by fellow Wolverine Charles Woodson. Oakland initially recovered the ball, but, citing the "tuck rule," which states that any forward throwing motion by a quarterback begins a pass even if the quarterback loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body, referee Walt Coleman overturned the call on instant replay, ruling it an incomplete pass rather than a fumble.

In the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brady injured his knee, and was relieved by Bledsoe. The Patriots won the game and were immediately instituted by Las Vegas oddsmakers as 14-point underdogs against the NFC champion St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

The score was tied with 1:21 left in the Super Bowl and the Patriots were at their own 15—with no timeouts—when sportscaster and Super Bowl-winning coach John Madden said he thought the Patriots should run out the clock and try to win the game in overtime. Instead, Brady drove the Patriots' offense down the field to the Rams 31 before spiking the ball with seven seconds left. The Patriots won the game on another Adam Vinatieri field goal as time expired. Brady was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI while throwing for 145 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, becoming the then-youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl.

2002 season[link]

Brady and the Patriots finished the year at 9–7, tied with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins for the best record in the division; however, the Jets won the division on the third tiebreaker, and the Patriots missed the playoffs.

Although posting a career-low single-season rating of 85.7, Brady threw for a league-leading 28 touchdown passes and 921 more yards than in 2001, though his fourteen interceptions would turn out to be a career high.^[27] However, Brady played much of the second half of the season with a shoulder injury, and New England head coach Bill Belichick has since indicated that if the Patriots had made the playoffs, Brady would not have been able to play in the first game due to that injury.

2003 season[link]

In the 2003 NFL season, after a 2–2 start, Brady led the Patriots to twelve consecutive victories to finish the season, thus winning the AFC East. Statistically, Brady's strongest game of the season was against Buffalo, when he achieved a season-high quarterback rating of 122.9.^[27] Brady finished with 3,620 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, and was second in NFL MVP voting to rival Peyton Manning and Steve McNair. In the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. On February 1, 2004, Brady led the Patriots to a 32–29 victory over the NFC champion Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII and was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time. During the game, Brady threw for 354 yards with three touchdowns and set the record for most completions by a QB in a Super Bowl (32). With 1:08 left in the fourth quarter and the score tied 29–29, Brady engineered a drive to put the Patriots in position for the game-winning field goal.

2004 season[link]

Brady during Super Bowl XXXIX

During the 2004 season, Brady helped the Patriots set an NFL record with 21 straight wins dating from the previous year, an accomplishment honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (though for official records, the NFL considers it an 18-game regular season winning streak; it does not count playoff games). New England's 14–2 record equalled that of their 2003 season, as well as the best regular-season record ever for a defending champion. The Patriots also won the AFC East divisional title for the third time in four years. Brady threw for 3,692 yards and 28 touchdowns, with a 92.6 passer rating, and was voted to his second Pro Bowl. In the AFC playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to victories over the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brady played his best game of the year in Pittsburgh despite requiring intravenous treatment the previous night when he ran a temperature of 103 degrees. Against the NFL's best defensive team, Brady recorded a quarterback passer rating of 130.5, his highest of the season.^[27] On February 6, 2005, the Brady-led Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl XXXIX. Brady threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns, most of which went to Deion Branch, while capturing the Patriots' third championship in four years.