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Biography[]
Drew McQueen Bledsoe (born February 14, 1972 in Ellensburg, Washington) is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys NFL franchise. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in 1993 as the #1 overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft, out of Washington State University. Drew and his wife Maura (née Healy) have four children: sons Stuart McQueen, John Stack and Henry Healy; and daughter Healy Elizabeth.
NFL career[]
During his time with the Patriots 1993-2001, he set many passing records, including the record for most passing attempts in a season (691) and completions in a single game (45) in 1994. His 400 completions that year were the second most in NFL history Bledsoe led the New England Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI in 1996, where they were defeated 35-21 by the Green Bay Packers. Bledsoe threw for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns in the game, but was intercepted a Super Bowl record 4 times.
After this defeat, coach Bill Parcells left to coach the New York Jets. Under new coach Pete Carroll, Bledsoe led New England to a second consecutive AFC East title in 1997 and the AFC divisional playoffs, where the Patriots lost 7-6 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. After their loss in the 1998 AFC wild-card game to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Patriots missed the playoffs for the next two years.
In 2001, Bledsoe signed a 10-year contract with the Patriots. Unfortunately, he suffered a devastating hit from New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis, which caused internal bleeding in his chest, and backup quarterback Tom Brady led the team for the rest of the regular season. However, in the AFC championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brady was blind-sided on a safety blitz, knocking him out of the game. Bledsoe stepped in, made two successful passes on his first drive, and then completed a crucial 25-yard pass to David Patten for a touchdown. Except for this one crucial game, Brady led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title, defeating the heavily favored St. Louis Rams. Bledsoe did not play in the Super Bowl, where Brady collected the MVP honors following the team's upset win. Shortly afterward, head coach Bill Belichick traded Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills for a first-round draft pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. During his second two years with the Buffalo Bills, it was thought that Bledsoe was past his prime, known for holding onto the ball too long and making poor decisions, and missing the playoffs all three of his years with them. On February 22, 2005, Bledsoe was released by the Buffalo Bills. As the first free agent signed in the 2005 off-season, he was acquired by the Dallas Cowboys, reuniting him with coach Bill Parcells. During this season, he led the team to a 9-7 record, barely missing the playoffs behind the Washington Redskins. He had an 83.7 Quarterback rating, passing for 3639 yards with 23 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He also threw every pass in the regular Season for the Cowboys, getting no relief from Drew Henson or Tony Romo.
Bledsoe has gone to the Pro Bowl four times, three times as a Patriot, and once as a member of the Buffalo Bills. He has won one Super Bowl (as a Patriot, albeit a backup to Tom Brady). He has more seasons with 370+ completions than any other quarterback in history as well as the most seasons with 600+ attempts. In 2005, Bledsoe became the 10th quarterback to pass for 40,000 yards. He is also well-known for his charity work as founder of the Drew Bledsoe Foundation, whose mission is to improve the lives of American children by teaching parenting skills to parents. On June 8, 2005 he was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.
Criticism[]
Bledsoe is widely regarded as an accurate and powerful passer when protected by his offensive line. However, he has also been criticized for his immobility, and for often holding on to the ball too long, leading to many sacks and subsequent fumbles. It has been speculated that Bledsoe will retire when Dallas coach Bill Parcells does. At 34, Bledsoe is becoming one of the NFL's oldest quarterbacks.
Best season[]
In 1994 the Patriots entered week 10 at 3-6 and on a 4 game losing streak when they faced the Minnesota Vikings in Foxboro. Down at halftime, Drew Bledsoe led the Patriots on a second half comeback throwing for 426 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and set single-game records in pass attempts with 70 and in pass completions with 45. The Patriots won in overtime 26 to 20. The Patriots went on to finish the season with a 7 game win streak ending up 10-6 and making the playoffs as a wildcard team, but lost to the Cleveland Browns in the first round. Bledsoe finished the season with a NFL record 691 pass attempts, became the second quarterback to complete 400 passes, and led the NFL with 4,555 passing yards.
Bledsoe Bowls[]
The "Bledsoe Bowls" (games between the Patriots and Bills when Bledsoe played for Buffalo) have seen mainly Patriot domination, and duelling 31-0 shutouts that bookended the 2003 season. As a Bill, Bledsoe went 1-5 against the Patriots.
What if...[]
- Bledsoe is known for jump-starting Tom Brady's successful career in the NFL. Historians often theorize that if Drew Bledsoe had not gotten hurt in the second week of the 2001 season, Tom Brady's career might not have taken off as it did or he may not have ever won his three Super bowl Rings.
In David Halberstam's book Education Of A Coach, however, it is noted that Patriots coach Bill Belichick was unhappy with Bledsoe's lack of pocket presence and overall performance to the extent that he may have benched the veteran quarterback in favor of Brady at some point during the 2001 campaign even if Bledsoe had not been injured.
Bledsoe Bowl Results
2002 New England 38, Buffalo 7 New England 27, Buffalo 17
2003 Buffalo 31, New England 0 New England 31, Buffalo 0
2004 New England 31, Buffalo 17 New England 29, Buffalo 6
Statistics[]
Physical statistics[]
- Height: 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm)
- Weight: 233 lb (105 kg)
- Football Throw: 80 yards (73 m)
Professional statistics[]
Career (as of 27 February 2006)[]
- 6,548 passes attempted
- 3,749 passes completed
- 43,447 passing yards
- 244 passing touchdowns
- 198 passes intercepted
- 33.07 passing attempts per interception
Post-season records and statistics[]
- 4-3 in the post-season
- 252 passes attempted
- 129 passes completed
- 1335 passing yards (190.7 ypg)
- 6 passing touchdowns
- 12 passes intercepted
- 21 passing attempts per interception in the post-season
- 4 Pro Bowls
Scouting Report[]
Statistics[]
Passing Stats[]
| year | team | league | games | ATT | CMP | PCT | YDS | YPA | TD | INT | SKD | SKY | RAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | NWE | NFL | 13 | 429 | 214 | 49.9 | 2494 | 5.81 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 99 | 65 |
| 1994 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 691 | 400 | 57.9 | 4555 | 6.59 | 25 | 27 | 22 | 139 | 73.6 |
| 1995 | NWE | NFL | 15 | 636 | 323 | 50.8 | 3507 | 5.51 | 13 | 16 | 23 | 170 | 63.7 |
| 1996 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 623 | 373 | 59.9 | 4086 | 6.56 | 27 | 15 | 30 | 190 | 83.7 |
| 1997 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 522 | 314 | 60.2 | 3706 | 7.1 | 28 | 15 | 30 | 258 | 87.7 |
| 1998 | NWE | NFL | 14 | 481 | 263 | 54.7 | 3633 | 7.55 | 20 | 14 | 36 | 295 | 80.9 |
| 1999 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 539 | 305 | 56.6 | 3985 | 7.39 | 19 | 21 | 55 | 342 | 75.6 |
| 2000 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 531 | 312 | 58.8 | 3291 | 6.2 | 17 | 13 | 45 | 264 | 77.3 |
| 2001 | NWE | NFL | 2 | 66 | 40 | 60.6 | 400 | 6.06 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 75.3 |
| 2002 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 610 | 375 | 61.5 | 4359 | 7.15 | 24 | 15 | 54 | 369 | 86 |
| 2003 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 471 | 274 | 58.2 | 2860 | 6.07 | 11 | 12 | 49 | 371 | 73 |
| 2004 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 450 | 256 | 56.9 | 2932 | 6.52 | 20 | 16 | 37 | 215 | 76.6 |
| 2005 | DAL | NFL | 16 | 499 | 300 | 60.1 | 3639 | 7.29 | 23 | 17 | 49 | 295 | 83.7 |
| 2006 | DAL | NFL | 6 | 169 | 90 | 53.3 | 1164 | 6.89 | 7 | 8 | 16 | 51 | 69.2 |
| 14 year NFL career | 194 | 6717 | 3839 | 57.2 | 44611 | 6.64 | 251 | 206 | 467 | 3079 | 77.1 | ||
Rushing Stats[]
| year | team | league | games | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | NWE | NFL | 13 | 32 | 82 | 2.6 | 0 | 15 |
| 1994 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 44 | 40 | 0.9 | 0 | 7 |
| 1995 | NWE | NFL | 15 | 20 | 28 | 1.4 | 0 | 15 |
| 1996 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 24 | 27 | 1.1 | 0 | 8 |
| 1997 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 28 | 55 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 1998 | NWE | NFL | 14 | 28 | 44 | 1.6 | 0 | 10 |
| 1999 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 42 | 101 | 2.4 | 0 | 25 |
| 2000 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 47 | 158 | 3.4 | 2 | 16 |
| 2001 | NWE | NFL | 2 | 5 | 18 | 3.6 | 0 | 8 |
| 2002 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 27 | 67 | 2.5 | 2 | 11 |
| 2003 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 24 | 29 | 1.2 | 2 | 11 |
| 2004 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 22 | 37 | 1.7 | 0 | 17 |
| 2005 | DAL | NFL | 16 | 34 | 50 | 1.5 | 2 | 9 |
| 2006 | DAL | NFL | 6 | 8 | 28 | 3.5 | 2 | 11 |
| 14 year NFL career | 194 | 385 | 764 | 2 | 10 | 0 | ||
Fumble Recovery Stats[]
| year | team | league | games | TOT | OWR | OPR | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | NWE | NFL | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | -23 | 0 |
| 1994 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 9 | 3 | 0 | -5 | 0 |
| 1995 | NWE | NFL | 15 | 11 | 1 | 0 | -8 | 0 |
| 1996 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 9 | 1 | 0 | -2 | 0 |
| 1997 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 4 | 3 | 0 | -4 | 0 |
| 1998 | NWE | NFL | 14 | 9 | 4 | 0 | -10 | 0 |
| 1999 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 8 | 6 | 0 | -13 | 0 |
| 2000 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 9 | 3 | 0 | -20 | 0 |
| 2001 | NWE | NFL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 11 | 2 | 0 | -8 | 0 |
| 2003 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 15 | 4 | 0 | -18 | 0 |
| 2004 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | DAL | NFL | 16 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | DAL | NFL | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 year NFL career | 194 | 123 | 35 | 0 | -111 | 0 | ||
Receiving Stats[]
| year | team | league | games | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | NWE | NFL | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | NWE | NFL | 15 | 1 | -9 | -9 | 0 | -9 |
| 1996 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | NWE | NFL | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | NWE | NFL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | NWE | NFL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | BUF | NFL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | DAL | NFL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | DAL | NFL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 year NFL career | 194 | 1 | -9 | -9 | 0 | 0 | ||
Advanced Stats[]
(Normalized to 2005 environment)
Season Team Pos G Plays TAY NetPts Pts/Pl PAR PAR/G WARP -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1993 nwe qb 13 246.2 867.5 72.29 0.294 14.93 1.15 0.37 1994 nwe qb 16 374.8 1348.5 112.38 0.300 25.05 1.57 0.63 1995 nwe qb 15 314.5 1113.5 92.79 0.295 19.51 1.30 0.49 1996 nwe qb 16 325.1 1644.0 137.00 0.421 61.25 3.83 1.53 1997 nwe qb 16 283.9 1433.5 119.46 0.421 53.31 3.33 1.33 1998 nwe qb 14 267.6 1407.5 117.29 0.438 54.94 3.92 1.37 1999 nwe qb 16 299.8 1381.0 115.08 0.384 45.23 2.83 1.13 2000 nwe qb 16 307.4 1400.0 116.67 0.380 45.04 2.82 1.13 2001 nwe qb 2 37.6 145.5 12.13 0.322 3.36 1.68 0.08 2002 buf qb 16 318.1 1730.5 144.21 0.453 70.09 4.38 1.75 2003 buf qb 16 258.9 1122.5 93.54 0.361 33.22 2.08 0.83 2004 buf qb 16 248.5 906.0 75.50 0.304 17.60 1.10 0.44 2005 dal qb 16 283.5 1324.5 110.38 0.389 44.32 2.77 1.11 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trivia[]
See also[]
External links[]
- Official web site
- Photos of Bledsoe and family
- Humanitarian Bio
- Drew Bledsoe at The Internet Movie Database