UFL Update: Tim Rattay

Okay, this isn’t really an update as much as a thing I just learned about former Las Vegas Locomotives quarterback Tim Rattay. Years before his UFL career, he was drafted to the 49ers with the 212th overall pick. Nine quarterbacks went before him.

What’s notable, though, is he was almost the 199th pick in his draft class. With six quarterbacks already off the board, the next team was staring at two names. Rattay seemed like the clear choice, but assistant coach Dick Rehbein was making a fuss about a mostly unimpressive but hard working kid from the University of Michigan.


Did I mention this was the 2000 draft? And had he been drafted at 199, Rattay would have had to fight for the starting job with future Frankfurt Galaxy player Michael Bishop, and the existing starter, who, at-the-time, was highest paid player of all time.

Who knows if by week 2 of the 2001 season, Rattay would have moved up past Bishop to #2 on the depth chart, so when QB Moneybags got decked by Mo Lewis, Rattay would have begun one of the most prolific careers of any professional athlete?

But we’ll never know, since Rehbein got his way when the New England Patriots drafted Tom Brady instead.

Also, Tim Rattay kind of sucks, so no, he wouldn’t have had Brady’s career.