44 Facts About Drew Bledsoe

Drew McQueen Bledsoe was born on February 14,1972 and is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for 14 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots.

Drew Bledsoe played college football at Washington State, where he won Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, and was selected by the Patriots first overall in the 1993 NFL Draft.

Drew Bledsoe was named to three Pro Bowls and became the youngest quarterback to play in the NFL's all-star game with his 1995 appearance.

Drew Bledsoe subsequently played three seasons with the Buffalo Bills, where he made a fourth Pro Bowl appearance, and his final two with the Dallas Cowboys.

Drew Bledsoe attended Walla Walla High School and was a letterman in football, basketball, and track.

Drew Bledsoe spent his college career at Washington State University in Pullman back in 1990, where he went on to have a record-setting career in his 3 years there.

Drew Bledsoe established WSU records in single-game passing yards, single-season pass completions, and single-season passing yards.

Drew Bledsoe was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year.

Drew Bledsoe was the first overall selection in the 1993 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.

Drew Bledsoe started right away for the Patriots in his rookie season, as they improved from two to five wins.

Drew Bledsoe completed 25 of 48 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions in the loss.

Drew Bledsoe was named a starter for the Pro Bowl that season, the second of his career.

The Patriots lost in the second round to the Pittsburgh Steelers; however, Drew Bledsoe built a career-high 87.7 passer rating, passed for 3,706 yards, tossed 28 touchdowns, and earned his third Pro Bowl invitation.

Drew Bledsoe completed these come-from-behind efforts while playing with a broken index finger on his throwing hand, an injury that would later sideline him for the postseason.

Drew Bledsoe threw a then-career low thirteen interceptions that year but he was sacked 45 times.

In March 2001, Drew Bledsoe signed a then-record ten-year, $103 million contract.

Team doctor Bert Zarins ran some tests and discovered Drew Bledsoe's heart was racing.

Drew Bledsoe was rushed to the hospital, where it was discovered that Lewis' hit had sheared a blood vessel in his chest, causing a hemothorax that had him bleeding a pint of blood an hour.

Drew Bledsoe later drove New England into Steelers territory to set up a 50-yard kick to seal the game, however Vinatieri missed and the ball went back to Pittsburgh.

In winning the conference championship game, Drew Bledsoe completed 10 of 21 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions.

Drew Bledsoe had one of his best seasons ever, passing for 4,359 yards and 24 touchdowns and making his fourth trip to the Pro Bowl.

In Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, Drew Bledsoe set a team record with 463 yards passing in an overtime win.

Drew Bledsoe went on to sign with the Dallas Cowboys, where he was reunited with former coach Bill Parcells and wide receiver Terry Glenn.

Drew Bledsoe was intended to be a long-term solution as quarterback for the Cowboys.

However, in 2006, his final season with the Cowboys, Drew Bledsoe's play became erratic, so much so that six games into the season he was replaced by future Pro Bowler Tony Romo.

Shortly after the end of the 2006 season, Drew Bledsoe was released by the Cowboys.

Unwilling to be relegated to a backup position, Drew Bledsoe announced his retirement from the NFL on April 11,2007.

When Drew Bledsoe retired in April 2007, he left fifth in NFL history in pass attempts and completions, seventh in passing yards, and thirteenth in touchdown passes.

On May 16,2011, Drew Bledsoe was voted by Patriots fans into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Drew Bledsoe was formally inducted in a public ceremony outside The Hall at Patriot Place on September 17,2011.

Drew Bledsoe beat former head coach Bill Parcells and defensive lineman Houston Antwine in a fan vote.

In July 2012, Drew Bledsoe was named the 30th-greatest quarterback of the NFL's post-merger era by Football Nation.

In January 2018, Drew Bledsoe was named honorary captain of the New England Patriots as they hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship Game.

Drew Bledsoe gave fans hope for the future by providing many memorable moments during his record-breaking career.

Drew Bledsoe's father was a coach who ran a football camp in Washington state, and Drew was able to interact with the professional players and coaches who helped his father run the camp.

Drew Bledsoe is the fourth cousin once removed of actor, Neal Bledsoe.

The Bledsoe family moved five times before Drew was in sixth grade.

The only time Drew Bledsoe played a whole season of football without ever starting at quarterback was in seventh grade at Pioneer Junior High.

Drew Bledsoe coached his sons, Stuart and John, at Summit High School.

In 2012, Marvin R Shanken invited Ernie Els, Greg Norman, Tom Seaver, and Bledsoe to introduce his wines, despite Shanken's disdain for the New England Patriots.

Drew Bledsoe recorded a message to both Tony Romo and Dak Prescott in 2017 in his home, which showed his red wine collection.

In 2021, Drew Bledsoe purchased an 80-acre property in Oregon's Eola-Amity Hills AVA with his winemaker and business partner Josh McDaniels.

Drew Bledsoe was selected to the Pro Bowl four times.

Drew Bledsoe was eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.