ROD Rutledge has made his mark in NFL history as the answer to a trivia question.

The former New England Patriots tight end was the first player to catch an NFL pass from legendary quarterback Tom Brady.

Rod Rutledge was the first player to catch an NFL pass from Tom Brady
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Rod Rutledge was the first player to catch an NFL pass from Tom BradyCredit: Getty

The tight end also won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots
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The tight end also won a Super Bowl with the New England PatriotsCredit: Getty

Brady's pass to Rutledge was little-remembered at the time
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Brady’s pass to Rutledge was little-remembered at the timeCredit: Getty
Rutledge played a key role in the Patriots winning Super Bowl XXXVI against the St. Louis Rams.

But his most iconic moment in the league was catching a six-yard pass in the final minutes of a Thanksgiving Day blowout defeat by the Detroit Lions in 2000.

At the time, the catch had little meaning.

The rebuilding Patriots were in the middle of a 5-11 season.

And few NFL fans could have predicted sixth-round draft pick Brady would go on to become one of the greatest players in league history.

“It pretty much went unnoticed,” Rutledge told The Athletic.

“It went unnoticed to everyone.”

But after Brady went on to a Hall of Fame career, Rutledge’s unique place in NFL history has grown and grown.

“Somebody on some show will ask who caught Tom Brady’s first pass and then they say my name,” Rutledge said.

“That’s when my phone goes off. Right now, where I am in my life, it’s my claim to fame.

“Every once in a while, somebody will send me a photo to sign.

“But there’s not a lot of mention about the catch unless it’s from people with the presence of mind to Google me.”

Rutledge played five seasons for the Patriots from 1998 until 2001 before ending his career with the Houston Texans.

He now owns rental properties in his native Birmingham, Alabama.