Tom Brady never got the ball from his first career touchdown pass – because it ended up in the hands of a fan, who is now putting it up for auction.
Go to the Lelands website to check out the auction page for the football that Brady threw to Terry Glenn for his first career touchdown pass against the San Diego Chargers on Oct. 14, 2001. Bidding started at $75,000, and after two bids it’s up to $78,750 as of this writing.
Brady never got the ball because Glenn threw it into the stands. Accoridng to ESPN, the seller, a Patriots season ticket holder since 1992, “tussled with a group of other fans” before coming down with the ball. If only those other fans knew how valuable that Wilson football would become.
Lelands used a technique called “photo-matching” to identify markings on the ball that would confirm that it’s the same one from that day in October 2001.
The game, Brady’s third career start, marked not only the first time No. 12 threw a touchdown pass but the first time he threw for over 300 yards and posted a passer rating over 90. It was also Brady’s first career fourth-quarter comeback, as he brought the Patriots back from down 26-16 in the fourth quarter to hit Jermaine Wiggins for the game-tying touchdown with 36 seconds left in regulation. Adam Vinatieri closed out the 29-26 win with a field goal in overtime.
Scroll down to see photos from the game, including the Brady-to-Glenn touchdown and former Brady targets Kevin Faulk and Bryan Cox.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.