New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was able to secure a $125,000 discount on his new home in Massachusetts by befriending former cornerback Ty Law.
Ty Law, a future hall of fame cornerback, was given a friends and family discount by the New England Patriots that allowed him to purchase tickets at half price.
Ty Law taught Tom Brady how to be an all-star teammate before he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Even though their paths had never intersected until Brady’s first season with the New England Patriots in 2000, it was a case of one former Michigan player helping out another former Wolverine.
Brady was the 199th overall selection in the NFL Draft in 2000, as has been widely reported. He would not take over as the Patriots’ starting quarterback until early in the 2001 season, replacing Drew Bledsoe. Brady was on a three-year, $866,500 deal at the time. By today’s NFL standards, that’s peanuts, and it wasn’t much better back then.
On Aug. 3, 2019, in Canton, Ohio, New England Patriots great Ty Law addresses the audience at the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony. | Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Law, on the other hand, was the 23rd selection in the first round when he came in New England in 1995. He got into the starting lineup at cornerback as a rookie and had three interceptions in each of his first three seasons, earning a reputation as a player quarterbacks avoided.
In 1998, Law made a big breakthrough by leading the league in interceptions with nine. It earned him first-team All-Pro accolades and his first trip to the Pro Bowl, where a 67-yard pick-six won him co-MVP honors. He also got a huge new deal as a result of it.
Law and the Patriots agreed on a seven-year deal late in training camp the following summer. According to the Hartford Courant, the deal includes a $14.2 million signing bonus, putting him in second place behind Deion Sanders in NFL average cornerback salary.
By early 2002, when Brady was still on his rookie deal but on the verge of establishing himself as a starter by passing for 18 touchdowns and 2,843 yards in 2001, life was obviously good for Law.
Law saw a chance to assist Brady. Ironically, his gesture was made in memory of Scott Zolak, a quarterback who spent seven seasons with the Patriots before joining the Miami Dolphins in 1999. Law had bought Zolak’s Massachusetts house, but he now had two years’ worth of bonus money and salary in the bank, forcing a transfer to more suitable quarters.
In April 2020, Law stated on the Michael Holley Podcast, “Unlike Scott, I handed it along.” “Scott slammed the brakes on me. “Do you get what I’m saying?”
Before choosing to sell, Law made several renovations, including completing the basement. Brady, a fellow Wolverine, he reasoned, would be the ideal purchase.
“Because he’s from Michigan, I’m going to do all I can to make him feel welcome,” Law stated. “So, you know, he wasn’t earning a lot of money at the time, and he needed a place to live. So I said, ‘Hey, just come on, buddy, and I’ll hook you up with this,’ since I had just gotten a deal.’
Law estimated that he took “about a $125,000 haircut simply to give it to him” after accounting for the TVs, pool table, and furnishings he left behind.
Brady earned $260 million in compensation until the conclusion of last season, according to Spotrac.com, plus millions more in sponsorships and business agreements, but Law has no regrets.
“He wasn’t earning any money,” says the narrator. Do you get what I’m saying? And now, dude, I’m pretty sure I could fit my whole home into his kitchen.”
Ty Law
Along the way, Law did well for himself. According to OverTheCap.com, by the time he retired from the Denver Broncos following the 2009 season, he had amassed a net worth of $58,837,782. He will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 2019.
Pro Football Reference provided all stats.
RELATED: During a helmet-slamming brawl at training camp, Tom Brady cursed out a few Buccaneers teammates.
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