Matt Cassel, a former quarterback with the Patriots, recalls trying to wrestle Tom Brady.

QB Matt Cassel was thrown into an uncommon role as an insurance policy in his early NFL years. Cassel was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He was largely ignored throughout his first few years at USC as he patiently waited behind the great Tom Brady.

When Brady suffered an ACL injury that ended the season in 2008, Cassel was thrown into the starting lineup for 15 games, which was his turning point. Though Cassel had little collegiate experience, he took advantage of the chance. He had even greater success with the Kansas City Chiefs after leaving New England, and in 2010 he was selected to the Pro Bowl.

During a recent interview on the This is Football podcast, Cassel reflected on his time with the Patriots and related a memorable off-the-field event he had with Brady: a wrestling match. Cassel claims that he triumphed, giving Brady a small portion of humble pie in his “younger years when testosterone was through the roof.”

Brady and Cassel were both selected by MLB organizations as model players; Brady was selected by the Montreal Expos in 1995, and Cassel was selected by the Oakland Athletics in 2004. Cassel remembered jokingly taunting Brady and trying to provoke a brawl.

Cassel’s victory after quickly body-slamming Brady attracted the attention of teammates—not all of them in a good way. Not to be outdone, defensive end Richard Seymour and defensive back Rodney Harrison jogged down the field to warn Cassel not to put Tom Brady in danger. They released him with a warning, but the message was quite clear: Brady’s safety could not be compromised.