Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans loved to catch Tom Brady touchdown passes and throw the balls into the stands. The last time he gave an important one away, the Bucs had to beg to get it back. This one they didn’t bother chasing—and now the ball that became Brady’s final NFL strike is up for auction.
Lelands is offering the ball—and one of Brady’s most valuable rookie cards—in its newly launched Winter Auction. Last June, the company sold Brady’s first career touchdown pass—one thrown into the crowd by receiver Terry Glenn two decades ago—for $428,000. The ball from his last touchdown will likely meet or exceed that price.
After catching Brady’s TD pass in the fourth quarter of the Buccaneers loss to the Rams in the NFC divisional playoff game on January 23, Evans tossed the ball into the crowd at Raymond James Stadium, not knowing at the time that it would be the legendary quarterback’s final one. The consignor is the fan who caught the ball while sitting in the stands. Lelands says the consignor, who asked to remain anonymous, is a 55-year-old Central Florida man.
MeiGray has photo-matched the ball to images from the game.
The ball has dual significance, having also established Brady’s record of 86 career playoff touchdown passes.
“We stayed for the whole game and I just kind of held it like a baby and we watched them come back and lose,” the seller, who wished to remain anonymous, told told ESPN. “We stood around for a while while the players walked off the field, then I tucked it in my jacket and we just walked out like normal. Nobody came up to us or anything.”
Bidding opened at $100,000.
Lelands is also offering a 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Rookie Ticket Brady autograph card, one graded PSA NM/MT 8 with an autograph grade of 9. One of only 100 issued, it’s expected to sell for a seven-figure price. As of Monday afternoon, bidding had already reached $638,000.
Also among the lots is an archive of tickets from 367 out of the 381 games Brady played as a member of the New England Patriots.
Over the weekend, Lelands sold a glove tossed into the stands by Antonio Brown during his infamous “meltdown” moment. The new auction includes the undershirt he also launched into the crowd at MetLife Stadium during the Bucs’ January 2 game against the Jets.
Additional auction centerpieces include an autographed 1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth card, a signed 1934 Goudey #61 Lou Gehrig, a Super Bowl I Packers ring awarded to assistant coach and former player Bob Schnelker, a rare, high-grade ticket stub from Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game, a 2009-10 Topps Chrome Refractors #101 Steph Curry Rookie graded BGS 9.5, a 1/1 Logoman card of Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the first 1997 Precious Metal Gems Green Karl Malone, Michael Jordan’s 1983 Team USA Pan Am Games training camp worn sneakers, the highest graded Ken Griffey Jr. MLB debut ticket, and one of the two highest graded Ty Cobb last game ticket stubs.
Additional auction highlights include:
- A Justin Herbert National Treasures Stars & Stripes Rookie Patch Auto
- A Patrick Mahomes 2010 middle school signed baseball
- Mike Evans’ right glove from when he caught Tom Brady’s 600th career TD pass
- Game-worn jerseys from hockey greats including Alex Delvecchio, Tony Esposito and Eddie Giacomin
The auction runs through March 12 at Lelands.com.
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