Drew Bledsoe

Drew Bledsoe never complained, even when he thought he deserved another chance. How was he so composed the entire year after being replaced by Tom Brady, following a devastating injury in 2001? “I’m the son of two teachers from Walla, Walla, Washington,” he said, “I wasn’t raised to complain.” It’s been 21 years since Drew, who’d signed an NFL record $103 million contract with the Patriots, was annihilated by Jet linebacker Mo Lewis - a sideline collision that changed the course of sports history. Drew and Lesley talked about that week, that year – when the Patriots won their first Super Bowl – and Drew’s thoughts on seeing Brady return to Foxboro. He had a kindred experience when he returned to New England with the Buffalo Bills, a day he called “completely nerve-wracking.” Now the successful owner of Doubleback Winery, Drew calls selling cabernet sauvignon and the NFL “equally competitive, just different playbooks.” The study of wine and wine-making have taken Drew and his wife Maura all around the world, with Argentina next on their list. And in the ultimate irony, the name of Drew’s winemaker is Josh McDaniels.