Tom Brady once shared the greatest honor he received at Michigan and it was not his QB1 role in 5th season

Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady did not have a typical route to stardom. He was the No. 199 overall pick in the 2000 NFL draft. Brady was No. 7 in the quarterback depth chart at the start of his Michigan Wolverines career and gradually climbed to QB1.

During an interview on "VT.com," Brady spoke about battling for the Wolverines QB1 spot and the greatest honor he achieved during his Michigan career.

"It's definitely not normal and again, I was the team captain too so I had to do what was right by the team and I always say that was the great honor that you can have," Brady said (oo:08:40). "It was when all your buddies in college and these great athletes name you captain. They say 'Man, you deserve it. We want you to be the leader for us.'"

Tom Brady almost left Michigan for California

Tom Brady did not have a straightforward Michigan Wolverines career. He redshirted his first season in 1995. He struggled to climb the depth chart as Brian Griese was the undisputed QB1 for the next two seasons.

Brady explained in an interview with "60 Minutes" he had a tough time in his early Michigan career. And assistant athletic director Greg Harden, "Michigan's secret weapon," helped him build confidence in weekly sessions.

"He (Harden) will always be somebody I rely on for sound advice and mentorship. He has helped me with my own personal struggles in both athletics and in life. Greg really pushed me in a direction that I wasn't sure I could go," Brady said.

Ultimately, the QB1 job went down to the wire. It was a straight battle between Brady and Drew Henson with coach Lloyd Carr alternating between the duo before choosing Brady.

Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion, shared on an episode of "VT.com" that he had almost left Michigan. He was getting a QB1 job when his prospects looked bleak in Ann Arbor.

"I almost thought about leaving Michigan," Brady said. "In my second year, I got a call from Steve Mariucci (then Cal head coach) at Cal and he said, 'Tom, if you come here, you can start for us. And you're going into your third year. If you leave Michigan, you can come here and start for us.'"

But Brady ultimately decided to tough it out in Ann Arbor and become the Wolverines' starting QB, leading them to wins in the Orange Bowl and Citrus Bowl.