Daily Archives: October 3, 2021

Ascension Episcopal Blue Gators dominated the Catholic High of New Iberia Panthers 29-0 Friday night.

Ascension shut out its third straight opponent to improve to 4-1 on the season.

Ascension was a wall Friday night, allowing only 250 total yards of offense and forced a fumble. Ascension senior Maxie Baudoin and junior Evans Dupuis held down the line of scrimmage all game and allowed their team to make plays defensively.

They take on a lot of double teams, Ascension head coach Matt Desormeaux said. We have two senior defensive ends Alex Doga and Alex Clement who are very quick off the edge and then the two big guys in the middle (Baudoin and Dupuis) make it difficult on the inside.

Catholic High could not establish the run game, turning the ball over on downs five times Friday night - three of which were in the fourth quarter. Still, Catholic fullback Marco Austin carried the ball 25 times for 117 yards which led all rushers in the game.

Baudoin left the game with a knee injury he suffered in the third quarter of Fridays game.

He got cut by the running back, Desormeaux said. He couldve gone back in but with the score what it was at the time we didnt want to take a chance but I think he will be fine.

Ascension junior defensive lineman J-Paul Guidry and senior defensive lineman Pierson Peebles filled in for Baudoin.

On special teams, Ascension blocked a punt in the second quarter. The blocked punt put Ascension in great field position and led to a score.

Ascension junior quarterback Cade Dardar had a great night completing 8 passes on 12 attempts for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Dardars first touchdown was a 45-yarder to junior receiver Austin Mills and the second was a 69-yard strike to senior receiver Britt Campbell.

Hes (Dardar) a talented kid with a good arm, Desormeaux said. Hes come a long way with his progression and his reads. As long as he puts the ball in a safe place we have a chance to be a really good offense.

Dardar also had 10 carries for 53 yards until suffered an ankle injury late in the second quarter.

Its (the injury) nothing serious, Desormeaux said. He got rolled up last week and the same thing happened this week. So, Hopefully our game plan next week can prevent us from having him run so much.

Dardars injury allowed Ascension senior running back Princeton Cahee to keep the running game steady.

Cahee carried the ball 14 times for 54 yards and two touchdowns Friday night.

Princetons a physical runner, Desormeaux said. Even though he hasnt got a ton of carries the past couple weeks, his pass protection and everything he does other than running the ball has been a huge help for us.

Ascensions next game will be on the road against the Delcambre Panthers. Catholic will be back on its home field next week ready to face the undefeated Loreauville Tigers.

Link:

Ascension Episcopal's defense tosses another shutout in win over Catholic High - The Advocate

The Echo Theater Company world premieres D.G. Watson's ASCENSION October 5, 2021 at the Atwater Village Theatre. Echo's associate artistic director Ahmed Best directs this immersive, interactive, sci-fi mystery thriller featuring Karen Sours Albisua, Leandro Cano, Samantha Cavestani, Elise DuRant, Steve Hofvendahl, Gloria Ines and Charrell Mack.

I had the opportunity to pose a few questions to Ahmed, a black-belted Star Wars innovator.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Ahmed!

As Echo Theater Company's associate artistic director, were you instrumental in acquiring ASCENSION for its world premiere?

Yes, Daryl Watson is a fantastic playwright and friend, so when the word was out that we wanted to commission a play from a Black playwright, he was the first person I thought of.

How did you first hear of Daryl and ASCENSION?

I directed a few of Daryl's plays. One was THE TRAGEDY, which was done with Ammunition Theatre Company, and the other was a virtual one act called REMEMBER THE LIGHT RAIL. He and I had been talking about jumping back in as soon as theaters opened. This was a perfect opportunity.

What's your three-line pitch for ASCENSION?

ASCENSION is an on stage interactive sci-fi thriller about questioning reality and surviving through loss. It's something we've all been dealing with the past couple years.

Are all of the ASCENSION cast and creatives members of Echo? Or did you hold auditions for non-members?

They are not all members. But they will soon be.

What was your very first Echo Theater project when you joined eleven years ago?

I don't remember my first. I believe a play called BOB directed by Chris Fields was one of the first.

What was the first thought that came to your mind when you were offered the position and responsibilities of associate artistic director last year?

Theater has always been where I feel the most at home and I hadn't had a physical theater that I could call home since I left New York. So, when I got the position, I wanted to help build that home theater.

What's the good word on the Directors LAB you're directing?

There's a lot about this business that for some reason is a secret. One of those is the process of directing theater and the many things that go into that. The Directors Lab is a place where we can share process and methods as well as mentor those who are interested in directing.

Can you tell us of what's in store for Echo Theater's upcoming season?

Some really great work. The Echo has always been a place that takes risks in the space.

How significant to you was voicing the character of Jar Jar Binks in a number of Star Wars projects?

What's important to me about Jar Jar and my place in Star Wars is that Jar Jar was the beginning of a new way to realize movies. I was not only the voice, I was the actor, the movement, and the design creative collaborator to the FIRST CGI MAIN CHARACTER IN CINEMA HISTORY as well as the voice. What needs to be emphasized is my contribution to a brand-new method of performance that was created by George Lucas and all of us on the design team. I was a large part of that. Often times Black artists are left out of the credit for the work that we were instrumental in creating. I was the first actor to do what is now in every blockbuster motion picture. I am also the LAST BLACK ACTOR to ever have a leading CGI role in motion picture.

Tell us some of the fond memories you have of performing in STOMP.

STOMP was as much me as I have ever been on stage. However, the fondest memory by far is performing with and falling in love with my cast mate and now wife, Raquel Horsford.

What gives you more gratification: acting onstage? Or being one of the creatives behind?

I love both equally.

You have a black belt in Machado Brazilian, Jiu Jitsu and Filipino Escrima. How often do you currently take the mat?

As much as I can. I'm mostly passing down what I know to the younger generations. But, I'm still dangerous for about a minute thirty seconds, LOL!

What's in the near future for Ahmed Best after ASCENSION?

I would love to mount ASCENSION in spaces like THE SHED in New York City and build out a fully immersive interactive experience. There's a space between traditional plays and movies that I believe plays like ASCENSION can live. The ticket price is just as much as a movie ticket, and you get live action and extended reality virtual elements. I think this is a wave of theater that will be accessible and excite audiences that love stage, screen, gaming and virtual reality. There's so much potential for ASCENSION. I'm looking forward to more iterations of it.

Thank you again, Ahmed! I look forward to experiencing your ASCENSION.

For tickets for the live performances of ASCENSION through November 18, 2021; log onto http://www.EchoTheaterCompany.com

Excerpt from:

BWW Interview: The Echo-ing ASCENSION of Ahmed Best - Broadway World

Behind closed doors, how did Tom Brady approach his first NFL start for the 0-2 Patriots as they prepared to take on Indianapolis and Peyton Manning?

Editor's note: This is Part III of Tom E. Curran's three-part series revisiting the rise of Tom Brady from sixth-round pick to seven-time Super Bowl champion. You can read Part I hereand Part II here.

Dave Nugent, defensive end and Brady's roommate:Leading up to that point he was always very professional. He still watched game film and practice film like he was preparing to be the starter. But I remember from that moment, he took it to a different level. He became laser focused because this was the moment that he had been preparing himself for. He always told me that all he can do is focus on the things that he can control so that when his moment came, he'd be ready for it. And I remember when he got that opportunity he was not going to let it go and he became just obsessively just laser focused with his job at hand.

I didn't see him in the morning because he got up that much earlier to go to the stadium. I didn't see him at night because he'd be in our basement watching film. I just remember he was just intentionally and intensely watching film but there was no nerves. He didn't seem uncomfortable at all during the week. Just like he was built for that moment, you know, it's like he's been preparing for this moment. And he just seemed ready to me, that's what stood out of my mind.

BILL BELICHICK FIELDED A SLEW OF QUESTIONS THAT WEEK ABOUT BRADYS FITNESS TO BE AN NFL STARTER. THIS IS A PORTION OF BELICHICKS PRESS CONFERENCE ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 AFTER CONFIRMING BRADY WOULD BE STARTER.

Q: If you have to begin your preparation for the Colts right now, you obviously can not prepare with Drew playing, who is your quarterback?

BB:Tom Brady.

Q: Where does he fall in the parameters for arm strength to be a successful NFL quarterback?

BB:I think his arm is good.

Q: Obviously he doesn't have a cannon and a lot of guys who do have cannons couldn't hit the side of a barn, but ...

BB:I don't think we are talking about John Elway here, but I don't know how many of those there are. I think he has got an NFL arm, he has got a good NFL arm.

Q: Tom isn't exactly an established NFL quarterback as of yet, so how much quicker would you be to make the change with him?

BB:I can't put any timeframe or parameters on that. Tom will play and we expect him to play well.

Q: Is his leadership a reason why expect him to succeed?

BB:Yes. I really don't think that I am going to be standing here week after week talking about all of the problems that Tom Brady had. I have confidence in him, I think the team has confidence in him and I think that he will prepare himself well and he will go out there and perform at a good level.

I am sure that like every other young player there will always be something in the game that you would like to do differently. People say that about every player young or old. It is always going to be that way. Everybody will make a mistake in the game, but I think overall that he will perform within the framework of the offense that we have designed for him and he will make plays that he is capable of making. That is what my expectations are and I think Tom will work hard to respond to that opportunity.

Patriots Talk Podcast:Love In! To get into Brady's head, Patriots need to go through his heart|Listen & Subscribe| Watch on YouTube

Nobody ever likes to see a teammate go down especially a warrior like Drew, just to go back in the game in that situation and the condition that he did shows the kind of toughness and grit that he has and what he is respected for, but at the same time every player likes to play, every player wants to take advantage, of an opportunity and I know that Tom has prepared hard and that is what a backup quarterback's job is. To be ready when the opportunity arises.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA, BRADYS PARENTS --TOM SR. AND GALYNN --WERE CONFIDENT BECAUSE THEIR SON WAS CONFIDENT.

Tom Brady, Sr.:We did talk to Tommy and he said, yeah I think I'm going to be it. I'm ready to go. We were never concerned about it.

He had so many comebacks, very opportune times in his college career, that nothing frankly seemed to amaze him. And for us, the biggest amazement, Frankly, and I think our biggest news is when he called us and he made the team the first year. He said he made the team that kind of overwhelmed us because they had had John Friesz and Michael Bishop, I mean it was in, so he was, he was fourth on the depth chart.

I didn't have any doubt that he would do very well. One thing that he always had under his control is he's been very well aware of game situations. When he was a kid, wed watch games and we'd say, That was a good move or That was a bad move or Whyd they call a timeout or whatever. He always was a little bit distressed (when teams did things that didnt make sense situationally). Hed keep saying, You don't do this, you don't do this, you don't do this. He had a very good sense of what to do during various situations in the game.

It was a very happy time for Galynn and I with Tommy getting the chance to play, but I certainly felt badly for Drew on that (and the injury).

WHEN GAME TIME CAME, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR CHARLIE WEIS FELT GOOD ABOUT BRADY. AND HE FELT GOOD ABOUT THE TEAMS PLAN FOR HIM AND THE OFFENSE.

Weis:He's kind of awired-up guy on game day when he comes out the tunnel, hitting helmets and the other stuff. But as far as composure, I mean, he was excited. But always, always composed. Great composure.

Remember we had a good defense. So we understood, Tommy understood that we're a complementary team at that time. Our defense was better than our offense. ...We had a good methodical team that could run the football and we're going against a team, as I recall that wasn't very good against the run.And I know we ran theball about 40 times that day (39 for 177 and three TDs). Antowain Smith ran over 20 times (22), and I know Kevin (Faulk) got another 10 touches (nine carries, two catches). We completed like 13 passes. The most important thing is, he didn't turn the ball over. He took care of the football. Everyone was saying, All they do is dink and dunk and he can't throw a ball down the field. What we're doing is playing complimentary football, and I think that we got off to a good start that day.

It wasn't a question whether you could throw long it was, Let's take what they give you right now and well go in that direction. And that's how you play winning football.

Scott Piolo, Director of Player Personnel:We knew that there weregoing to be bumps and that it wasnt going to be perfect. His first start was a mixed bag. You go back and he started out and he didn't look so hot (Brady airmailed an open David Patten with his first third-down throw). Charlie did something which wasn't very Charlie-like. He was trying to get Tom to push the ball with a few passes that were downfield whereas later in the game, in the second half,Charlie ran a couple more draws. Antowain Smith established himself as the good back that he was going to be that year. There were a little more checkdowns, using (tight end) Jermaine Wiggins, using Kevin Faulk and the pattern changed with the play calling but the key was that the defense played lights out that day.

That was a big part of the story. Tommy got a lot of help from a lot of people. And most importantly, Tommy didn't do anything to lose the game.

THE GAMES PIVOTAL PLAY --ARGUABLY, THE SEASONS PIVOTAL PLAY --CAME ON THE COLTS FIRST POSSESSION. IT WAS SECOND-AND-6 FROM THE COLTS 37. MANNING HIT WIDE RECEIVER JEROME PATHON FOR 5 YARDS AND LINEBACKER BRYAN COX OBLITERATED PATHON A YARD SHORT OF THE STICKS. ON THE NEXT PLAY, THE PATRIOTS DEFENSE JAMMED UP EDGERRIN JAMES FORCING A COLTS PUNT. THAT STYLE OF DEFENSE WOULD HOLD FOR THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS.

Pioli:Truly, I felt the energy in the entire placechange when Brian Cox had that hit on Pathon. It changed the energy in the building. I mean, (linebackers coach) Pepper Johnson is always a little bit off the hook on the sidelines. He took it next level.

B. Cox was a new dude to that team. He was a Jet. He was a Jet that Patriots people and Patriots players hated until he showed up. He showed up at our place and it was different but similar to when Rodney Harrison showed up. (Cox) brought this energy, this tension, this intensity that wasdifferent. He wasn't initially a locker room favorite. But people realized, Hey, man, that stuff when I was with the Jets, that wasnt personal that was business. I was doing the best for my team. And that became part of the collective understanding of our locker room that once you're in that locker room, you're one of us. Yeah, that other stuff happened, but once you know about Brian Cox, everything he's going to do is for our collective greater good.

Our defense that day, Anthony Pleasant, Bobby Hamilton, Roman Phifer, Ted Johnson --they all played well. Otis Smith --I mean, Otis had a 70-yard, interception return for a touchdown in that game. I remember, right before the half, they're driving. And we put 10 more points on them in the last two minutes because Otis intercepts the ball, runs it back for a touchdown. Then we get the ball back, a three-and-out. We get a chunk drive. And thatto me, that's one of the things I remember about that. How well Brady, and our offense and our team, our defense, and offense were prepared. Chunk passes, use the sidelines, use timeouts, just the efficiency of the coaching, and then the performance by the players. And then three more points to make it 20 nothing at the end of the half? That was pretty special stuff.

I trusted in Charlie in that game. Charlie and Bill and Ernie Adams (Belichicks do-it-all advisor) knew what we had to do with the kid and they did it.

I always go back to one of the great lessons I learned early in football having grown up a Giants fan and listening to how Phil Simms was put together and how they took this young guy from Morehead State and evolved him. (Bill Parcells) and (Giants offensive coordinator) Ron Erhardt made sure that they did a lot with the short and underneath and sideways passing game, to build the confidence of the quarterback and get him comfortable. To get the line comfortable to figure out what's going on in front of them. And then to also get the ball in the hands of people who are getting paid to have the ball in their hands and be out in space and work against other people.

That's what Charlie started to do. I cannot overstate the importance and the work all of the skill players --not just the guys catching the ball that day --but Mark Edwards doing his job at fullback, Antowain Smith, Kevin Faulk on the draws, Kevin Faulk picking up the blitz. It wasn't perfect that day. I'm not saying it was. But there were signs of things coming together. There were moments of certain things where youd say, Damn, that's good and smart football.

I remember Kevin Faulk, getting out of bounds, getting himself to the perimeter, getting out of bounds, run after catch, draws, there were things happening with the team. People were focusing on the low-hanging fruit. To me that game, that situational football at the end of the half, to get the game from 17, then to get those extra three points at the end of the half what that did for that team, mentally and emotionally? But also, I think, for them to understand all that Bill is teaching them? It comes together and they say, This stuff might work! This stuff makes sense! That three points may matter! Wow! This stuff might work!

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE PATRIOTS 44-13 WIN IN WHICH BRADY WENT 13 FOR 23 FOR 168 YARDS WITH NO TOUCHDOWNS AND NO PICKS, A TEAM-WIDE SPARK WAS KINDLED.

I think my greater focus was that I was excited to see how our defense played against Peyton Manning. And I knew how we were going to play. We were going to be as physical as you could possibly be up to the line and maybe, on occasion, across the line.

Its a new quarterback, we get it. That's the news. But how is our special teams gonna play? But how did the defense play? Because, in addition to wondering about how your quarterbacks going to play, how are you going to slow down No. 18 on the other side of the field? He's about to become the best quarterback in the National Football League. You know what this man is going to be. It was excitement, knowing that your team had been prepared right. That the coaching staff had done the right thing to prepare the defense, to prepare the big-picture team, and that the offense was ready. As the game started, I, I felt great about the defense because I saw some of the energy I had seen. I mean, again, we had some dogs, man. All those guys with the jersey number in the 50s (Mike Vrabel, Cox, Johnson, Larry Izzo, Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, for example). You see that they're evolving. We brought a bunch of them in the offseason but they fit exactly what we were trying to do and exactly how Bill and Romeo (Crennel) wanted that defense. They were ready.

Nugent:I remember coming back to the condo, and it's so funny because during the week he was so business-like, but after the game, he was like a kid in a candy store. It's like he could finally let loose, and he was just a kid, he was a 24-year-old kid, and he just, you know, he was enjoying the moment and that's what I remember about him the most.

THE PATRIOTS FOLLOWED UP THE WIN OVER THE COLTS WITH AN UGLY LOSS IN MIAMI. BRADY THREW FOR 86 YARDS AND WAS SACKED FOUR TIMES IN A 30-10 LOSS. BUT THE PATRIOTS WON FOUR OF THEIR NEXT FIVE AND BRADYS CONFIDENCE AND PRODUCTION GREW. THE TEAM LOOKED DIFFERENT. WITH BLEDSOE ON THE MEND AND READY TO RETURN, BELICHICK BROKE THE NEWS TO THE FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK THAT THE JOB WAS NOW BRADYS.

Weis:We never had the conversation (about sitting Brady down when Bledsoe was healthy). We never worried about when 11 was gonna play. We figured we'll deal with that when that time comes. You're worried about that week. We never talked about it. Not once did we talk about it. We talked about it when the doctors came to us and said, Hey, Drew can play. That's when we talked about it.

It was uncomfortable. Because now we were on a little winning streak. We had some mojo going, which was the main reason why we didn't make a change. You know we didn't make a change because we had that going. And chemistry is one thing that very often is undervalued. And there was good chemistry. The defense and RAC (Romeo Crennel) had rallied and picked up the pace when Drew went down. Not disrespectful to Drew but out of respect for Drew. They felt that they had a bigger responsibility to pick up. The offense, as the year went on, we grew and got better at giving us opportunities to do more things.

Nugent:I'm going to be 100 percent honest, I never remembered Tom ever once talking about anything that wasn't positive in regards to Drew that year. It wasn't like, Oh my gosh, what's gonna happen when Drew gets healthy? Or, I'm better than Drew. There was none of that. There was concern for Drew's health, and he was just more focused on his task at hand than anything else. Not once (did Brady mention it) and that waswithin the walls of our home. I mean, he could have said it to me if he wanted to, and he could confide in me but he never shared that with me.

That just tells me that, going back to when he first told me, All I can do is focus on what I can control, he's always had that mindset. And looking back, had he not had that mindset for his moment, I mean the history of the franchise would have changed forever. But because he had that kind of mindset that, All I can do is focus on the things I can control. I can't control what they're going to do with Drew, when hecomes back healthy, it helped him succeed.

THE REST OF THE SEASON WAS HISTORY IN THE MAKING. WE KNOW NOW HOW THAT TURNED OUT. THE SUBSEQUENT 20 YEARS WHICH CULMINATEAND COME FULL CIRCLE TONIGHT AT GILLETTE STADIUM AS BRADY AND THE BUCCANEERS PLAY THE PATRIOTS IN WHAT WILL CERTAINLY BE HIS FINAL GAME IN FOXBORO HAVE ONLY BEEN ONE OF THE GREATEST STORIES IN PRO SPORTS HISTORY. I ASKED WEIS IF HE FELT A CERTAIN PRIDE IN ALL THATS HAPPENED SINCE THE LAST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER, 2001.

There's a bus full of people that have a small part in it. You do feel pride in the fact that you were one of the people that was involved. But I think that the number one person who deserves the credit for Tommy Brady is Tommy Brady.

I think that his intestinal fortitude is what separated him. There are a lot of great football players who have intestinal fortitude, but the guy was just different. He just had a chip on his shoulder, and I find humor in the fact that --at 44 years old --he still has the chip on his shoulder.

See the original post:

An oral history of Tom Brady's ascension to the greatest QB in NFL history, part 3 - NBC Sports Boston

GONZALES - Marcus Allen walked into a crowd of open arms and hugs Saturday during a vigil for his daughter Nevaeh in his hometown at Gonzales Municipal Park.

"We want him to know that he has an army behind him every step of the way," Paige Goynes said.

Goynes and Denai Williams are lifelong friends of Nevaeh's father and organized the memorial for his daughter.

"We just want to show him that people do love him, and there's still good people in the world," Williams said.

Nevaeh's name and face were on t-shirts, posters and balloons. Candles were lit and the almost one hundred in attendance joined in prayer before and after the balloons were released.

Allen's uncle Annie Allen traveled from New Orleans to be part of the memorial.

"It's beautiful that they came out to support my niece in these trying times, and support the family and show much love," Allen said.

Local rap artist Teflon Mark who had a special poster of the Nevaeh made announced that he will pay for all of the 2-year-old's funeral costs.

See the rest here:

Almost a hundred turn out for 2-year-old's vigil in Ascension Parish - WBRZ

Tom Brady didnt come out of nowhere. The notion that he did --that no one envisioned him taking over for Drew Bledsoe is an easy-to-swallow storyline increasingly pushed as the years pass. But it just isnt true.

In late September of 2001, the second-year quarterback from Michigan was already nipping at Bledsoes heels. Bradys ascent began almost the moment he entered Foxboro Stadium as the 199thpick. Bledsoe, meanwhile, had plateaued at 29.

He was still highly regarded around the league for his toughness, leadership, size and arm strength. But within the walls at the soon-to-be-demolished Foxboro Stadium, Bledsoes price tag and limitations had head coach Bill Belichick, Director of Player Personnel Scott Pioli, and others privately concerned with whether Bledsoe would be part of the teams success or an obstacle to it.

Belichick and Pioli worked shoulder-to-shoulder in building the Patriots of the 2000s. Their job was monumental. And Bledsoe was a complex part of it.

"Thinking about Drew, part of the blessing and the curse with Drew was that we knew him so well,"Pioli explained. "Everyone liked Drew, respected Drew. But because we had been an opponent (of the Patriots) the last three seasons at the Jets, we had started to figure out ways to attack Drew, things that we could do to Drew and what (his) Kryptonite was.

"He was still one of the best quarterbacks in the league but you also have this knowledge of things that may not work,"Pioli said. "It was clear that he was playing at a certain level. What was the next level? Are we going to be able to get a next level from him? And are we going to be able to provide the things for him that would allow him to take it to the next level?"

Meanwhile, Brady --one of four quarterbacks the Patriots kept on the roster in Belichicks 5-11 first season with the team --built on the momentum hed created as a rookie. Despite Bledsoe signing a 10-year, $103M extension in March of 2001, Bradys progress throughout that spring and summer kept the Patriots braintrust on alert. Meanwhile, Bledsoes summer work wasnt good.

Many in the media chalked that up to the lack of talent around the rocket-armed Bledsoe. He was at his best when he could stand tall, pat the ball and rip it downfield. A precision offense based on accuracy and quick decision-making didnt play to Bledsoes strengths. And thats exactly what Charlie Weis, the teams offensive coordinator, wanted to run. Bledsoe was trying. But he was more gunslinger than sharpshooter. And while Brady was no gazelle, Bledsoe was a battleship.

That Bledsoe took seven preseason sacks and played almost the entire first half of the Patriots' final preseason game should have been a warning that the Patriots still werent seeing what they wanted. If it wasnt, Bledsoes performance through the first two games was. The Patriots lost the opener to the Bengals.

On September 23, the Patriots hosted the Jets. The violent way in which Bledsoes day ended --an organ-rattling hit from Jets linebacker Mo Lewis that sheared an artery --overshadowed the quarterbacks performance before the hit. It was one of the worst games hed played in years. The near-tragedy with Bledsoe gave Brady and the team a chance to see what it had. Cold-blooded. But business.

What were the months leading up to that moment like in Foxboro for the Patriots and for Brady? What was the atmosphere around the team and in the facility? And what was it like 20 years ago in the days after Bledsoes injury through to Tom Bradys first NFL start?

Youve heard me tell the story about the draft before the 2001 season. It was a Friday night in the very beginning of April, and I was leaving the building. We still had the (practice) bubble and the lights were on in the bubble. I went around the construction (of the new stadium) to go hit the lights and on a Friday night in April, it's almost 10 o'clock at night and there's Brady working on his own with his boombox, with elastics around his ankles, throwing balls into the net.

Scott Pioli, former player personnel director for the Patriots

With Brady coming to Foxboro to start a game for the final time, we look back exactly 20 years to the week of Bradys first start at home against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

Scott Pioli, Patriots Director of Player Personnel:I believe we started to see a change in Tommy during the 2000 season just watching his preparation. I've always liked to make this distinction between work ethic and work habits. Brady had both. He had a really strong work ethic. But as we know, there's a lot of people out there that have a really strong work ethic. But if their work habits aren't right, if they're just working on the wrong things, it doesn't matter. And Brady had both of those at a very young age.

Charlie Weis, Offensive Coordinator:I was impressed with the Tommy Brady that went on his whole rookie year. Most of his work took place after practice, or in the building. He didn't get that much work on the field. Most of his work took place after practice. He'd keep guys and hed tape a script and go through plays. We watched him evolve and I thought that after that first year that he could be in the running for the backup quarterback.

Chris Eitzmann, tight end and Brady's roommate:One story that just sticks out to me the most is the second week of training camp (in 2000). We're walking off the field at Bryant College after we stayed late to run routes. I'm completely gassed. At the time Im seventh on the depth chart, believing I had a chance but knowing a lot had to happen for me to find my way onto the roster.

Tom was kinda in the same boat. He had two veterans ahead of him (Bledsoe and veteran John Friesz). Michael Bishop (a third-year player from Kansas State) was obviously very popular for what he could do athletically. We're both kind of fighting for jobs. So there we are, walking off the field, second week of practicing and he says, You know what, I'm going to beat out Bledsoe.

Patriots Talk Podcast:Love In! To get into Brady's head, Patriots need to go through his heart|Listen & Subscribe| Watch on YouTube

So at the time I was fairly dismissive of it. I'm like, 'Yeah, okay. Sure you are.'But he believed it was 100 percent. There was no other outcome that was acceptable to him. He knew in his heart that at some point he was going to do it. And that's my favorite story of him because I think it tells you so much about who he is and how he's done what he's done.

Tom Brady, Sr.:The day after the season ends, he was back at the facility working out and was basically there the whole time probably January 2 to June 30. I think it was July or so he got a call from Charlie Weis just as we were pulling in to play golf. Charlie said, How come you're not here working out? after Tommys been six straight months of working out virtually every day. And Tommy said, Don't worry, Coach, I'm not going back there to be the backup of a 5-11 quarterback.

He felt that he had the talents and the ability to supplant Drew reasonably quickly and in fact, several people made comments to that same effect.

Weis:I do (remember that phone call). He did have that, in a nice way, youd say cockiness.But it was a confidence. He did have that confidence about him. Being a Jersey guy myself, I always liked that type of attitude where, he wasn't shooting anyone else down, he was just saying, Hey, this iswhat I'm all about. And, you know, that's one of the things that stuck out to you.

Pioli:We were trying to build our entire roster. There was a group of us that felt really good about Brady and the progress he was making. But he was still unproven. Something we wanted to do that season was improve not only our starters, but our depth. We wanted to be a deep football team.

We felt that Brady could certainly be on his way to being the No. 2. Some of us felt more strongly than others. Yet, there was an opportunity to get Damon Huard, a player that we really respected and we knew a lot about because he had been in that division with Miami and the group of us that had been with the Jets knew who he was as a player. We knew he was a backup player who also had some starter experience. So we wanted a player as one of our backups to be someone that had starting experience.

Pioli:That offseason, he acquired a key somehow and he would let himself into the facility and into the visitors locker room to watch film because he didnt want people to see him in there. He would come in down by the weight room and watch tape down there. (I thought the reason he was guarded about it) was a combination that he didn't want people to think he was kissing up but he also didn't want people knowing how hard he was working. I shouldn't say that I know what he was thinking. My assumption or my guess would be was that he knew that he had limitations, but he also knew that no one was gonna outwork him. Theres just that whole idea that you're a professional athlete. And there's other people that aren't working that hard. You know, why would I have to? And that's just me speculating. I don't know why, but I don't think he really wanted people to know how hard he worked.

Youve heard me tell the story about the draft before the 2001 season. It was a Friday night in the very beginning of April, and I was leaving the building. We still had the (practice) bubble and the lights were on in the bubble. I went around the construction (of the new stadium) to go hit the lights and on a Friday night in April, it's almost 10 o'clock at night and there's Brady working on his own with his boombox, with elastics around his ankles, throwing balls into the net.

I retell that story because I don't know if we saw a change. It was more of this continuum that was constant. It was unrelenting, and it was preparation. It was work habits. And then it began to manifest itself in camps and all the work that he did in that preseason.

He was always prepared and sometimes people focus so much on tools, someone's big arm, the throws they can make, how fast they are.

Brady had a different way of doing things early in his career. And as he got better athletically, as he got a stronger arm, he was doing all the right things and making all the right decisions, not just off the field but on the field when his opportunity came.

Pioli:We were trying to manage that salary cap from the moment we walked in the door. People often forget the true and accurate history of what the circumstances were when this whole thing started.

One of the biggest issues we had was this imbalance within our salary cap. And part of building a good team is being able to find ways to structure contracts where it's not too heavy-handed one way. Those were some of the things we talked about. Thats what was going through our minds at this time: Hey, we've got to find good young players that can help us address this bigger picture situation.

There was a feeling that (Brady) might be able to become that player. It wasn't everybody in the organization. It wasn't everybody on the coaching staff. It wasn't everybody in player personnel --not that it was a very big player, personnel department --but there was some hopefulness that he could become that player.

There were things that made us think that he could be (a starting-level quarterback) and it was hopefulness. And we thought he was on that trajectory where he could become a starting quarterback and could become our starting quarterback.

I go back to thinking about the Drew thing, part of the blessing and the curse with Drew was that we knew him so well. Everyone liked Drew, respected Drew. But because we had been an opponent the last three seasons at the Jets, we had started to figure out ways to attack Drew, things that we could do to Drew and what someone who's Kryptonite was. He was still one of the best quarterbacks in the league but you also have this knowledge of things that may not work.

It was clear that he was playing at a certain level and what was the next level? Are we going to be able to get a next level from him? And are we going to be able to provide the things for him that would allow him to take it to the next level?

Again, let's look at this in its true context. Go back to that moment, that 2001 offseason, when that offseason starts, we are in big salary cap trouble. You go back to the year before when we got there. In 2000, we were $10.5 million dollars over the salary cap, and the salary cap was much lower ($67.5M). The things we had to do get under the cap in the 2000 season? I think we signed maybe 28 rookie free agents just in order to fill our roster, and to go to training camp.

When we got under the cap in the beginning of March, we were down to 41 players. Forty-one players under contract! That was it. And then we had to build our football team to go to camp. Back in the day, teams were doing borrowing. They would simply take the player's contract, reduce the salary, give them a signing bonus, it would reduce the cap in that year. But that money's still chasing you. It's nothing more than credit card borrowing.

So the credit card borrowing had been done. And we were having to do multiple things: build a good football team, find good players, and then also get our cap in order which is what we were trying to do still into 2001. Heck, we were still trying to do it into 2002.

Dave Nugent, Brady's roommate and defensive end:His appearance had changed physically. He looked different. He carried himself a little bit more competently. Being a defensive player, I was in the defensive meetings and I remember specifically hearing guys like Lawyer Milloy making comments, being like, Man, you know, something's going on. Tom's really improved a lot. It was catching the eye of a lot of the veterans. They were noticing it so when he started climbing up that ladder on the depth chart, people understood why that was the case.

I remember Tom just didn't make a lot of mistakes. And, you know, I don't necessarily remember Drew making a lot of mistakes. But I just remember that Tom was climbing the ladder for a reason, and that if they had to play Tom I think there's players in the team that felt super comfortable with that.

Editor's note: This is Part I of Tom E. Curran's three-part series revisiting the rise of Tom Brady from sixth-round pick to seven-time Super Bowl champion. Click here to read Part II.

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An oral history of Tom Brady's ascension to the greatest QB in NFL history, part 1 - NBC Sports Boston