Tom Brady took his talents to a beach on Wednesday, only to announce to the world he was retiring from football for good after 23 seasons in the NFL.
Brady leaves a résumé behind that is filled to the brim with accomplishments. But in a moment of reflection along his illustrious career, how could we forget the time that former MLB outfielder Eric Byrnes told the story of his three sacks against the seven-time Super Bowl champion?
Byrnes, a former St. Francis Lancer in Mountain View, Calif., took on Brady’s high school squad of the Junipero Serra Padres located about 30 minutes north in San Mateo back in the early 90s.
Sure, the three sacks were something to boast about, but man — the final score of the game was a whopping, 63-6, with Byrnes’ team declared the winner.
“The rumors are true,” Byrnes said in an interview on MLB Network back in 2018.
Here’s a dramatic reenactment:
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At the time, the 57-point difference, according to The Bangor Daily News, was the widest during St. Francis’ 34-game win streak that started in 1973 and ended in 2006.
Despite the defeat, coaches who had faced the now 45-year-old, who graduated from Junipero Serra High School in 1995, said there was something special about Brady.
Something special indeed.
Byrnes, an 11-year MLB veteran himself, said he witnessed a home run from Brady that was the furthest he’d ever seen.
After countless accolades including those Super Bowl championships, five MVPs in those games, 15 Pro Bowl selections, three All-Pro selects and two (2) retirements, Brady (seen above last October) will remain spoken about as one of the best to ever do it. And for everything he’s done in the NFL for years to come. Even if he took some Eric Byrnes sacks on the way there.
[Photo from Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports]
