Tom Brady combine photo: Why is the NFL legend's picture so famous?

It has become a tradition for social media users to post the infamous Tom Brady photo from the 2000 NFL Scouting Combine around this time of the year. In addition to the fact that the picture is humorous, this is typically done to emphasize that genius may come from any place.

Brady's overall performance at the scouting combine before the 2000 draft left many with low expectations. Apart from his poor performance at the event that year, Brady's NFL Combine picture is arguably one of the worst he's ever taken in his professional career.

Brady, who appears scrawny in the picture, is wearing gray gym shorts and is shirtless. His name and NFL Combine identifying numbers are posted on a board beside him. Brady does not appear to have a high level of fitness.

Brady's photo may appear uninteresting, but it does not reflect how his career panned out. His NFL career was nothing short of fantastic, which is why the image remains popular year after year.

Some of his career achievements include 15 Pro Bowl selections, three First-team All-Pros, three MVPs, seven Super Bowl titles and a plethora of other accolades that make him the greatest quarterback of all time.

Additionally, Brady isn't ashamed of his lackluster Combine photo from 25 years ago. In 2019, he said:

"I wouldn't pay anything," when asked if he would pay to have his NFL Combine photo taken off entirely from the internet. “It serves as a great reminder from where I come from. At this point, I’m pretty cool with it.”

A look at Tom Brady's performance at the 2000 NFL Scouting Combine

Tom Brady's sluggish and clumsy running at the Combine made him a significantly less enticing candidate athletically.

The complete set of Tom Brady's 2000 NFL Scouting Combine stats are as follows:

20-yard short shuttle: 4.38 seconds

Vertical jump: 24.5 inches

Broad jump: 8 feet, ¼ inch

40-yard dash: 5.28 seconds

3-cone drill: 7.20 seconds

Shuttle run: 4.38 seconds

NOTE: He did not participate in the 60-yard shuttle drills, bench press, or broad jump. He was also the second-slowest quarterback at the Combine that year, with Chris Redman of Louisville having the slowest time (5.37).

Brady's Combine performance meant he had to wait until the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft before he was selected with the No. 199 overall pick by the New England Patriots.