Drew Bledsoe

The legendary Drew Bledsoe is a former professional American football quarterback, who most famously played for the New England Patriots in the NFL. He is also an entrepreneur and owns the Bledsoe Family Winery vineyard. He was inducted to the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011.

Born and raised in Ellensburg, Washington, Bledsoe began playing American football at High School, where he also excelled at basketball and track. He was named a first team All-State by the Tacoma News Tribune. He played college football at Washington State University, where he won the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year as a junior. He was selected by the New England Patriots in the 1993 NFL draft, and spent nine seasons with the side going on to be considered as the face of the Patriots franchise as he was instrumental in helping to improve the team’s fortunes between 1993 and 2001. During his time there, the Patriots qualified for the playoffs four times, won their division twice, and won Super Bowl XXXVI. He was also named to three Pro Bowls and became the youngest quarterback to play in the NFL’s All-Star game with his 1995 appearance.

Bledsoe suffered a near-fatal injury early in the 2001 season and was unable to regain his starting position for the remainder of the season. He subsequently left the Patriots and then played three seasons with the Buffalo Bills, making a fourth Pro Bowl appearance. He then spent two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before retiring in 2007. After his retirement, he founded the Doubleback Winery with his friend Chris Figgins, and later set up an additional winery, Bledsoe/McDaniels. Both are now part of the Bledsoe Wine Estates.

Bledsoe regularly connects with his legions of followers and fans through Instagram, and Twitter, posting pictures and videos about his life around American football and wine. He is also available for that personalised shout-out via the Cameo platform.