Tom Brady was a big fan of the San Francisco 49ers as a child. However, when he turned pro, his fan love turned to dislike.

Tom Brady grew up as a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, often going to the stadium with his father and looking up to then-superstar Joe Montana. But his fan love came to a quick end after his college career.

In his latest podcast episode, “Storytime with Tom Brady,” the 48-year-old explained that his loyalty to his hometown team vanished abruptly when they passed him over six times in the 2000 NFL Draft and instead selected Giovanni Carmazzi early in the third round.

Brady was not picked by the New England Patriots until the sixth round, at position 199.

To put this into context: Carmazzi never played in a regular season game for the 49ers and now works as a goat herder. Brady, on the other hand, has won the Super Bowl seven times and is considered the best NFL player of all time.

“Every time I played against the Niners, I wanted to make one thing clear… you drafted a goat herder ahead of me,” Brady says. “And I never forgot that.”

49ers passed on Brady twice

The 49ers had scouted Brady when he was still playing for the University of Michigan. But they were apparently not convinced by his abilities.

Brady was deeply affected by this decision. “My loyalty to the Niners was gone when they passed me over six times in the 2000 draft,” he clarifies.

The 49ers later got a second chance.

When Brady became a free agent in 2020, they reportedly considered signing him, but opted for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, once the backup to the “GOAT” at the Patriots. Brady moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—and won the Super Bowl in his very first season. The storied California franchise has been waiting for that for more than 30 years.