By JIMMY GOLEN Associated Press
As a 24-year-old in 2001, his second NFL season, Tom Brady stepped in when Drew Bledsoe was injured and led the New England Patriots into the playoffs.
When he arrived in Pittsburgh to play the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game, Brady couldn't believe he was there.
"Fifteen years later, to be a part of 10 of those, I never imagined that any of this was even possible," Brady said Monday. "You never take it for granted."
A sixth-round draft pick who spent his rookie year as the No. 4 quarterback on the Patriots' depth chart, Brady has grown into a four-time NFL champion and a three-time Super Bowl MVP.
On Sunday, he will play in the AFC Championship Game for the fifth time in a row and the 10th time in his career, extending what already was an NFL record.
"It's beyond what I'd ever imagined in my wildest dreams," Brady said.
Hall of Famer Joe Montana, whom Brady grew up in the Bay Area idolizing, played in seven conference title games, six with the San Francisco 49ers and another with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was 4-3; Brady is 6-3 heading into Sunday's game in Denver against the Broncos and longtime nemesis Peyton Manning.