Drew Bledsoe at the Capital Theater

This past week, the legendary Patriot Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Bledsoe returned to his home state as a guest speaker at the Capitol Theatre. In an interview-style conversation with Yakima sports reporter Allen Sillence, Bledsoe detailed his rise to football greatness and the surprising transition into the wine industry. I was given the opportunity to speak with Bledsoe before this event and learn more about his astounding career, on and off the field.

Hailing from Walla Walla, Bledsoe began his remarkable football career at Washington State University, where he crushed records and earned the title of PAC-10 Offensive Player of the Year. After a successful three years in Pullman, Drew was drafted as the first-round pick to the New England Patriots.

In Bledsoe’s seventh season with the Patriots, he suffered a near-fatal injury that ultimately led to his replacement by Tom Brady as quarterback. Bledsoe describes this moment as the most “pivotal” in his athletic career, as it changed the trajectory of his life as he knew it. Drew spent five days in the hospital, and when he returned, his position was gone. The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that year, but the victory was bittersweet for him.

After the 2001 season, Bledsoe went on to play seven more seasons with the Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys, retiring at 35. For a man who only knew football as his life at this point, “normal” life was uncharted territory. He recalled going from having “everything done for him” to learning to do things himself. However, Bledsoe found a new calling soon after: wine.

He founded the Doubleback Winery in 2007, which earned a spot in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines in 2010. Bledsoe says that, despite the obvious differences between football and wine, he’s translated many of the skills he once used to win games into his business. “Executing with precision, embracing adversity, and having the right players in the right places” all come together to make a successful business.

Bledsoe also included a message to our very own Eisenhower Cadet Football team as they overcome injuries and tough losses this season. “Keep fighting: win or lose, you put everything you have into the game.”