It’s iconic. The photo we’ve all seen a thousand times. The scrawny, miserable-looking kid out of Michigan with the baggy boxer shorts. It was the first glimpse many got of Tom Brady. Let’s break down Brady’s 2000 NFL Combine performance and take a look at his NFL Draft scouting reports.

Tom Brady’s 2000 NFL Combine Performance

• 40-yard dash: 5.28 seconds
• Vertical jump: 24.5 inches
• 20-yard short shuttle: 4.38 seconds

(Brady didn’t compete in the broad jump, bench press, or 60-yard shuttle drills).

Athletically, Brady was far from a desirable prospect. He ran awkwardly and slowly, and it was evident that he wasn’t going to be a mobile quarterback. But of course, in 2000, things were different at the position. Barring Michael Vick, who was drafted in 2001, there were very few Kyler Murray or Lamar Jackson types who did the things modern NFL QBs are capable of.

A QB named Tim Rattay was the fastest in the 2000 NFL Draft, recording a 4.91 40-yard dash at the Combine. Vick holds the record for the fastest 40-yard dash among quarterbacks at 4.33.

How Brady’s 40-Yard Dash Stacks Up

Remember Vince Wilfork? The burly defensive tackle who many grew to love in the pros tested at the combine in 2004. Wilfork ran a 5.21 40-yard dash.

His time makes Brady’s dash look a little awkward. However, fast forward to the current day, and it is not uncommon at all to see the big men running sub-5-second 40-yard dashes.

Tristan Wirfs, who spent years blocking for Brady on the Buccaneers’ offensive line, ran a 4.85 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine. He measured at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds.

How Was Brady Viewed As A Prospect?

Here are some of the things scouts and other NFL personnel had to say about Brady prior to his Hall of Fame/Greatest of All Time career.

One scout noted Brady was “Awful. He’s not even on my board. Weak. He’ll make somebody a good husband or a good medical salesman.” Yikes. Another QB coach said, “Backup. Could be a No. 2 in this league for a long time. Has the size but not enough arm.”

MORE: NFL Combine Records: 40 Times, Bench Press, Vertical Jump, and More

Safe to say, many were wrong about Brady. He continues to be proof that the NFL Combine might not prove anything at all. He also shows that sometimes — just sometimes — the scouts might get it wrong.

Brady used his NFL Combine criticism to fuel his career. He carried it with him for over 20 successful years as an NFL quarterback. When you think about it, you just have to love it.

Brady took note of everything the critics had to say and then went on to win seven Super Bowls, cementing himself as the greatest player ever to play the game. Plus, he ran for over 1,000 yards — it took him 18 years to reach that total, but he did it.