Ex-Jets star Mo Lewis defends infamous tackle, blames Drew Bledsoe for sparking Tom Brady’s historic NFL rise

Former New York Jets star Mo Lewis has long been associated with one of the most pivotal moments in NFL history – the hit that changed the course of Tom Brady’s career and sparked the beginning of the Tom Brady era in New England. However, Lewis has always maintained that he should not be blamed for what transpired on that fateful day. In fact, Lewis argues that it was Drew Bledsoe’s decision to run that ultimately led to the hit that changed NFL history.

The date was September 23, 2001. The New York Jets were facing off against the New England Patriots in a heated AFC East rivalry game. Drew Bledsoe, the Patriots’ starting quarterback at the time, dropped back to pass in the fourth quarter with his team trailing. As the pocket collapsed around him, Bledsoe made the split-second decision to tuck the ball and run for a first down. Little did he know that this decision would alter the course of his career and the future of the NFL.

Mo Lewis, a linebacker for the Jets, saw an opportunity to make a play and closed in on Bledsoe with lightning speed. As Bledsoe scrambled, Lewis delivered a devastating hit that left the Patriots’ quarterback writhing in pain on the turf. The impact of the hit was so severe that Bledsoe suffered a sheared blood vessel in his chest and had to be rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. This opened the door for a young, unheralded backup quarterback named Tom Brady to take the reins of the Patriots’ offense.

Many credit Lewis’ hit on Bledsoe as the moment that launched Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame career. However, Lewis has always maintained that he was simply doing his job as a linebacker and should not be held responsible for the consequences of Bledsoe’s decision to run. In a recent interview, Lewis spoke out about the incident and his role in shaping NFL history.

“I was just doing my job out there on the field,” Lewis said. “I saw an opportunity to make a play and I took it. It’s not my fault that Drew decided to run instead of sliding or throwing the ball away. That hit changed the course of NFL history, but it wasn’t my intention to knock Drew out of the game.”

Despite Lewis’ protests, the hit on Bledsoe undoubtedly had a profound impact on the NFL landscape. Tom Brady seized the opportunity to step in as the Patriots’ starting quarterback and never looked back. He led the team to three Super Bowl victories in his first four seasons as a starter and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

In hindsight, it’s easy to see how that hit changed the trajectory of both Bledsoe’s and Brady’s careers. Bledsoe, once considered the face of the Patriots franchise, was never able to regain his starting job after recovering from his injury. He was eventually traded to the Buffalo Bills and later finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys. Meanwhile, Brady went on to become a six-time Super Bowl champion and a future Hall of Famer.

While Lewis may not have intended to spark the Tom Brady era, his hit on Bledsoe will always be remembered as the moment that changed NFL history. It serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of sports and how one split-second decision can alter the course of a player’s career. Despite the controversy surrounding the hit, Lewis remains steadfast in his belief that he should not be blamed for the consequences of Bledsoe’s decision to run.

As the years have passed, the impact of that hit on Bledsoe has only become more apparent. It serves as a cautionary tale for quarterbacks and players alike, reminding them of the risks and consequences of every decision they make on the field. In a league where injuries are a constant threat, every player must be mindful of the choices they make and the potential ramifications of those choices.

In conclusion, Mo Lewis may have rejected blame for sparking the Tom Brady era, but there is no denying the role that his hit on Drew Bledsoe played in changing the course of NFL history. The incident serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of sports and the profound impact that one moment can have on the trajectory of a player’s career. Lewis may have been simply doing his job as a linebacker, but the consequences of that hit will forever be etched in the annals of NFL lore.

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Source: Fox News