Drew Bledsoe

Lore & Background

Bledsoe attended Walla Walla High School and was a letterman in football, basketball, and track. In football, he was named a first-team All-State selection by the Tacoma News Tribune. In track, he competed in the throwing events. He was later inducted into the WIAA Hall of Fame in 2020. Bledsoe spent his college career at Washington State University playing for the Cougars. After gaining the starting job at the end of the 1990 season as a true freshman (joined later by Jeff Tuel and Jayden de Laura as the only three in school history), he quickly became the face of the Cougars' offense. In 1992, Bledsoe led WSU to a 9–3 record (ranking #17 in the coaches poll and #15 in the AP) and a 31–28 win over Utah in the Copper Bowl in which Bledsoe completed 30 of 46 passes for 476 yards and two touchdowns, being named the Copper Bowl MVP. He also established WSU records in single-game passing yards (476), single-season pass completions (241), and single-season passing yards (3,246). He was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. Following an impressive junior year in 1992, Bledsoe decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 1993 NFL draft. In the 34 starts of his collegiate career he amassed 6,897 yards, 502 completions, and 44 touchdowns. Bledsoe was later inducted into the Washington State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.

In Their Own Story

The roar of the crowd at Foxboro faded into a dull hum as the ball left Bledsoe's hand. It wasn't the perfect spiral he was known for; it was a moment of chaos on the gridiron. The tackle came hard, the impact sickeningly loud against the crisp autumn air. In that split second, an era ended. As he lay on the turf, clutching his leg, the stadium seemed to hold its breath, unaware that this injury would inadvertently birth one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.

Reader's Guide

Bledsoe was the first overall selection in the 1993 NFL draft, taken by the New England Patriots. He started right away for the Patriots in 1993, as they improved from two to five wins. As a rookie, he passed for 2,494 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in 13 games. Bledsoe would also make history during the season as in week 17 in a game vs the Indianapolis Colts he would become the first rookie in NFL history to finish a game with a perfect passer rating in a 38–0 victory. On November 13, 1994, the Patriots had won just three of their first nine games and were losing, 20–3, to the Minnesota Vikings at halftime. Bledsoe led a comeback victory in which the Patriots won, 26–20, in overtime, as he set single-game records in pass completions (45) and attempts (70). (The completion record was broken in November 2025 by another quarterback drafted by New England, Jacoby Brissett.) The win sparked the beginning of a new age for the Patriots, as they rallied behind Bledsoe and won their final six games to finish with a 10–6 record and capture the wild card spot. Bledsoe passed for 4,555 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions. The Patriots lost to the Cleveland Browns (led by future Patriots head coach Bill Belichick) in the wild-card round 20–13. Due to his performance, Bledsoe was selected to his first Pro Bowl as an alternate. In the 1995 season, Bledsoe passed for 3,507 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions as the Patriots went 6–10. Following the difficult 1995 season, Bledsoe turned it around in 1996, ranking among the top passers in the league with the help of wide receiver Terry Glenn, pushing the Patriots to reach the playoffs again and winning the AFC championship over the Jacksonville Jaguars, 20–6. This led to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXI, where they lost to the Green Bay Packers, 35–21. Bledsoe completed 25 of 48 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions in the loss. He was also named a starter for the Pro Bowl that season, the second of his career. During the 1997 season, Bledsoe helped the Patriots win five of their final seven games to once again qualify for the playoffs, the fourth time in eight years as a Patriots starter he would lead the team to a postseason appearance. The Patriots lost in the Divisional Round to the Pittsburgh Steelers; however, Bledsoe built a career-high 87.7 passer rating, passed for 3

Did You Know?

• Bledsoe suffered a near-fatal injury in 2001 when a hit sheared a blood vessel in his chest, causing a hemothorax.
• Bledsoe led the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI (1996 season), not the 1995 season.
• Bledsoe played for the Patriots from 1993 through the 2001 season, not ending in 2000.
• Bledsoe did not start in Super Bowl XXXVI; Tom Brady was the starting quarterback, though Bledsoe was on the team.