Ode to Drew Bledsoe

Before I start being an attorney for the day, a few words about Drew Bledsoe's retirement.

With Tom Brady in the uber-star category, Tony Romo reaching the pro-bowl and JP Losman showing signs he can play at a Pro Bowl level (with more development), Bledsoe will unfortunately be remembered by most outside New England for those who replaced him rather than how he performed.

During crucial times in big games, I always seem to remember Bledsoe staring down a receiver and throwing a back breaking pick, or taking a sack when the prudent move was to throw the ball away. But it's categorically wrong to only remember his tenure with the Pats (or Bills and 'Boys) involving only those moments.

He was the foundation of leading a 1-15 Pats team back to respectability. Until Curtis Martin arrived (the only legitimate back he had in his tenure), he single handedly led the Pats back to the playoffs, throwing to immortal wideouts Vincent Brisby, Michael Timpson and Leroy Thompson. Once Martin arrived, in 1995, after a down season battling inconsistency, Bledsoe led the Pats to three straight playoff appearences and a Super Bowl appearence that should have resulted in victory if Desmond Howard stayed home that night. And while everyone will remember the Mo Lewis hit that seemingly catapulted the stardom of Brady, most people forget that if Bledsoe does not come in after Brady gets hurt against Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game, the Pats don't win their first Super Bowl .

(NOTE - Bledsoe was pretty uneven in the game, completing less than 50% of his passes, and benefitting from having Kordell Stewart leading the Steelers, but I contend the few backups could perform this well in a hostile environment against the best team in the AFC that year)

He made four pro bowls, holds the all-time Pats passing and TD records, and was a class guy the entire time. I don't miss his bone head passes in clutch situations or his inability to make split second decisions - but do remember a great player that will be remembered for the wrong reasons.