Retired NFL star Tom Brady received a fitting tribute and farewell from his former teammates and fans during the halftime of an NFL football game between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. The former quarterback, who played 20 seasons for the Patriots and took home six championships, was honored by the team as the ‘first Keeper of the Light in @gillettestadium history.’ An emotional Brady said during his speech, “I’m not quite in game shape, but it’s impossible for me to be in a stadium full of you amazing fans with some of the best teammates, with my family, with all my friends and not run out like I did for 20 years.”
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As per People , the legendary player was joined by his children: Jack, 16, Benjamin, 13, and Vivian, 10, all of whom sported his iconic number 12 jersey while supporting him at the podium. “This is an incredible celebration for me, for our family, for my teammates, for all of us to come back and thank you guys for what you’ve done for us,” he continued. While recalling his former days with the New England Patriots team, he said, “I was so fortunate to be drafted here two decades ago, 23 years to be exact, not even knowing where New England was on the map.” Brady said before praising his former team, “And not that we put it on the map, but I think a lot more people in the U.S. know where the New England Patriots play.”
“Nobody 23 years ago would imagine that this journey would bring us here today,” the six-time Super Bowl champion said. “We had a lot of countless memories in this stadium. Celebrating wins against great teams in Foxborough weather like today where we love, love seeing the opponents come in and be a little worried about what the conditions were going to be like. We dealt with whatever came our way. We dealt with a lot of adversities, and it toughened us up. And we as a team represented you guys. Every time we took the field,” Brady added.
While expressing his heartfelt emotions, Brady also stated, “It’s one of my core beliefs there’s nothing significant in life that can be accomplished as an individual. It’s always about the team. We build a culture of teammates that carry things. They care about each other and they care about winning. And if you didn’t care about those two things, you did not last year very long. And we were very happy to play against you.”
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“So I think we proved to America what teamwork is all about,” Brady continued. “We proved that believing in each other, believing in playing for this community, and believing in playing for a common mission, we were able to pour out six of those banners and celebrate them in this stadium,” the NFL star said. “All our lives take us on different journeys. They take us to different places. They bring different people into our lives. But one thing I am sure and that will never change is that I am a Patriot for life!” Brady proudly proclaimed in the end.
Brady traveled back to New England for the Patriots’ season opener against the Eagles on Sunday, as per Yahoo Sports . Prior to the game, he also rang the stadium bell and was honored during halftime. Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, declared he would waive the customary four-year waiting time for Brady to be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will coincide next summer with his sixth Super Bowl victory.
