Tom Brady was honored and inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame during a glittering evening filled with stars.
Tom Brady brought the New England Patriots countless memories and clinched six Super Bowl trophies during his illustrious two-decade tenure with the team.
The Patriots ensured that his induction into the franchise's Hall of Fame was an unprecedented celebration.
Dozens of Brady's former teammates and coaches, spanning multiple eras of Patriots history, joined thousands of fans and celebrities, including Jay-Z and Bon Jovi, on Wednesday night to honor Brady as the 35th person to be enshrined into the team's hall.
“Patriots nation, it’s great to be back home,” Brady remarked.
Before Brady took the stage, team owner Robert Kraft moved Brady to tears by announcing that his iconic No. 12 jersey would never again be worn by another Patriots player.
“The No. 12 jersey is now officially retired,” Kraft declared.
Kraft also revealed that a 12-foot bronze statue of Brady was being commissioned and would be installed outside the Patriots Hall of Fame later this year.
In a night that felt like a Patriots family reunion, the highlight occurred before Brady's speech when he reunited with former Patriots coach Bill Belichick. The moment was punctuated by an extended ovation for Belichick, who left the team after the 2023 season.
“It was a tremendous honor for me to draft Tom and coach Tom for 20 years,” Belichick told the crowd. “Everything he brought to the team, it was really an honor for me to be involved with that."
Brady addressed the perennial debate about who was most responsible for the Patriots' success during their era together.
“It wasn’t me. It wasn’t you. It was us,” Brady emphasized. “Let me make it clear. There is no other coach I’d rather play for than Bill Belichick."
The evening kicked off with a red carpet featuring a star-studded lineup from Brady's 20 seasons with the Patriots, including Ty Law, Willie McGinest, Randy Moss, Vince Wilfork, Drew Bledsoe, and Rob Gronkowski, alongside Brady's parents, Tom Sr. and Galynn Brady.
The official ceremony inside Gillette Stadium began with a smoke-filled performance by rapper Jay-Z, who performed his 2003 hit “Public Service Announcement.” This song had been Tom Brady's entrance music as he jogged onto the field to warm up before games.
Brady made his entrance at the end of Jay-Z's performance, walking through the section reserved for special guests before taking his place on stage.
During the ceremony, Brady watched video tributes from his rivals over the years, including Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Charles Woodson, and Jason Taylor. The lineup also featured video appearances by former New York Giants Michael Strahan and Eli Manning, who were good-naturedly booed by fans for their roles in defeating the Patriots in the 2007 and 2011 Super Bowls.
Among other video cameos were some of Boston’s beloved celebrities, such as Red Sox legend David Ortiz and actor Matt Damon.
Selected as the No. 199 pick in the 2000 draft, Brady assumed the starting quarterback role in his second season with the Patriots when Drew Bledsoe, the former No. 1 overall pick, was injured. Brady led the team to a Super Bowl championship that year and went on to win five more titles over the next two decades.
At the Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Drew Bledsoe playfully ribbed Tom Brady, joking that Brady ignored the cardinal rule of being a backup quarterback.
"You were the worst backup quarterback in NFL history," Bledsoe quipped. "You never learned that when I got healthy, you were supposed to go sit back down."
The event was filled with emotional moments, especially when Brady was joined on stage by some of his top teammates: Randy Moss, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, and Wes Welker.
Moss was visibly moved to tears by the crowd's two-minute ovation. Reflecting on his arrival in New England in 2007, Moss recounted his decision to place his locker next to Brady's, believing it would set the stage for success.
"Put my locker beside Tom Brady’s and the rest will take care of itself," Moss recalled.
The night also saw surprise appearances, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning joining Brady and host Mike Tirico for a sit-down discussion about their on-field battles over the years.
Manning shared how he never counted out the Patriots when facing Brady, especially in crucial late-game situations.
"I was praying on the sidelines," Manning admitted with a smile. "I never pray on the sidelines."
Brady reciprocated the respect, praising Manning as one of his closest friends and acknowledging how he had followed Manning's career since their high school days.
"There's nobody out there like Peyton Manning right now," Brady affirmed.
Manning didn't miss the chance to inject humor, earning cheers from the New England crowd when he joked, "They like me here because I always lost here."
Speaking before a crowd adorned in his No. 12 jersey, Brady expressed deep gratitude to his family and the Patriots organization, emphasizing their enduring connection.
"I feel like we’re still the family that’s trying to love each other," Brady shared emotionally. "We’re adopted New Englanders."
Listing the towns he had lived in throughout his Patriots tenure — from Franklin to Quincy to Chestnut Hill to Brookline — Brady's speech reached its crescendo as tears welled in his eyes.
"I am Tom Brady. And I am a Patriot," he concluded, encapsulating a career and a legacy that will forever resonate in New England and beyond.
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