Recapping An Epic Night as Tom Brady Inducted into Patriots Hall of Fame
Brady gave an induction speech for the ages Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium.
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It was quite a spectacle at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday night, with former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady being honored as the club inducted him into the team’s Hall of Fame.
The event took place in front of a jam-packed crowd and a host of former teammates, with friends and family all there to enjoy the event.
Prior to the ceremony, the club had a red carpet event that featured former players and their families, along with Barstool Sports David Portney, who many remember was actually arrested and spent time in jail as he protested the farce that was Deflategate down in New York.
Before the event, new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo spoke with Devin McCourty and recalled a story where Brady headbutted him prior to a game, breaking his tooth in half.
“TB 12, ultimately competitor, and that’s what I’m trying to get through to the guys in the locker room. It doesn’t matter if it’s fourth and goal on the one, or you’re playing basketball in the locker room, he just loves to compete.”
“Obviously, it wasn’t a fight. But you’re not used to quarterbacks running around headbutting people,” said Mayo. So he walks up to me, I don’t have my mouthpiece in, chinstrap unbuckled, he head butts me, split my tooth in half.”
“I was so pissed. I had 18 tackles that game. He still owes me some veneers too. So if there are any dentists in the room, I need a veneer paid for by Tom Brady.”
Bill Burr opened things up, talking about the old days of this franchise, joking about the Monday night football fiasco in the early years that set the club back, along with the arrival of both Bill Parcells and Drew Bledsoe. Burr actually joked that he was worried when Bledsoe was picked because he was afraid the club might have picked the wrong guy.
Instead, Bledsoe got the organization going back in the right direction, and Parcells “got upset about some groceries,” and in came “Sneaky Pete,” referring to Pete Carroll. From there, as Burr then mentioned, obviously came Belichick, and the rest is history.
And last night was certainly that.
There were plenty of terrific tributes, with a fantastic piece where Brady’s family sat down and talked about what the whole experience was like, both when Brady was growing up, as well as how things changed as he rose to stardum.
Brady’s sister, Nancy, even ended up being Brady’s “assistant” as he tried to navigate his new life, until, as his father puts it, “that worked for about four months until he asked her to take his laundry to the cleaners one time,’ joked Tom Sr. “And that was it.”
However, as Nancy looked back on it, if there was any animosity, it certainly didn’t show as she spoke about it. Looking back and seeing his growth, it’s a time she reflects fondly on and was glad to be a part of it.
“I was his first manager, or assistant as he probably would say – more like,” she said. “It was kind of a cool experience to kind of be here with him from the beginning to watch the change, watch the pursuit, watch the climb. And I don’t think, even as sometimes challenging as it could be, I would ever take that experience back.”
One of the funnier moments of the night was when Brady sat down with his former quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe, Matt Cassell, and Brian Hoyer, along with former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Each reflected on various memories from their time there, with Bledsoe drawing laughs after he called Brady, ‘the worst back-up quarterback’ because he ‘never understood’ his job, which would have been going back to the bench back in 2001 after Bledsoe was medically cleared to play.
“Of all the great things about Tom, great teammate, greatest quarterback of all time, you were the worst backup quarterback in the history of the NFL,” said Bledsoe. “You never understood that when I got healthy, you were supposed to go sit the hell down.”
That drew a smile from Brady, with fans at Gillette Stadium also erupting with laughter.
Still, there were other notable moments that were certainly moving. One of them came as former wide receiver Randy Moss joined Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman on stage to reflect on their time together.
However, as Moss went to speak, there was a slow rumble that started in the crowd, and as Moss spoke further, it grew.
And it grew.
“I think that a lot of fans were just wondering what they were going to get …” said Moss, as the fans cheered louder and then began rising to their feet, with Moss’ voice trailing off.
The fans coming out of their seats looked like a giant wave, with all the former players and families down in the lower area also rising and clapping for the former receiver.
It lasted for more than a full minute, leaving Moss stunned as his eyes welled up. He looked out at the crowd, and you could see the tears building up, leaving the former receiver needing a moment to compose himself before he spoke.
Joining all the fans were Moss’ fellow teammates on stage, with Gronkowski, Brady, Welker, Edelman, and NBC Sports Analyst Mike Tirico – who MC’d each of the interview sessions – all standing up and clapping during the ovation.
“Y’all know it’s always good to feel this,” said Moss when he finally got himself composed. “I thank Y’all.”
The other big moment came as former receivers Troy Brown and Deion Branch each introduced Bill Belichick, who was the final person to take the stage. As the former coach walked out, it led to the biggest ovation of the evening.
Belichick, wearing a blue suit, white dress shirt, and a red tie, was all smiles as he stepped out onto the stage. He immediately went over and hugged his former quarterback, with the two smiling and standing together for several moments exchanging some words as everyone inside of Gillette Stadium came to their feet.
The former coach smiled and waved, saying “thank you” multiple times while trying to get into his speech. “Love you New England. Love you Patriots fans.”
Still, fans weren’t having it. The cheers continued, and Brady, who had been seated in a white chair at the edge of the stage during each segment, also came to his feet as well and clapped for his former coach.
“Thank you, Patriots Nation,” said Belichick again.
His presence on the stage brought everyone to their feet, with the cheers eclipsing what even Moss received.
“Tom, it’s a lot better reception than we got in L.A.” joked Belichick, obviously referring to the quarterback’s roast on NetFlix.”
He then spoke to the crowd again, which finally began to quiet down after nearly two full minutes.
“Thanks so much,” said Belichick. “That’s such a warm welcome. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to come back here and see the great Patriots fans. Thank you.”
Belichick then spoke about their time together, talking about various memories over the course of their nearly 20-years. He praised Brady’s work ethic while also emphasizing the fact that Brady was careful with the football and “avoided bad plays,” referring to the quarterback’s decisions on the field.
Off the field, that was apparently another story. Belichick re-told a previous account about when the two played golf together many years ago where Brady hit a ball that went out of bounds over the side of a cliff, with Brady climbing down to a ledge where the ball had landed.
Belichick said it was 250 feet up, and he admitted that for a moment, he came to the realization that things could have been disastrous for his quarterback.
Fortunately, it’s now just a funny anecdote on a night full of reliving some terrific memories. Belichick closed things out thanking his former quarterback, giving him one final smile and hug before he walked off.
“Tom, I want to say thanks, on behalf of all the players, all the coaches, all the staff, all the people, the hundreds of people that are here, and the thousands of fans that are here, thank you,” said Belichick. “Thank you for all that you’ve done for us, thank you for all you’ve done for me, and thank you for the example and model that you’ve been for all of us on a daily basis for 20 years. You’re unbelievable. Congratulations.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft later took the stage and announced that Brady’s #12 will officially be retired, with a 12 foot bronze statue having been commissioned and will be unveiled outside of Gillette Stadium at some point this season.
From there, Brady was given his red Patriots Hall of Fame jacket, and the former quarterback spoke for nearly twenty minutes.
“Patriot Nation, it feels good to be home. This evening marks a monumental moment in my life. It’s a celebration of 20 years here in New England, playing for the Patriots, playing for you, the greatest fans in the NFL.”
“I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and a deep sense of honor. So let me say thank you for all that you’ve done to help me, to help us achieve our lifelong dreams. You guys are amazing.”
Brady spoke about his former players, but there was certainly a moment that stood out as he spoke about his former coach.
He echoed many of Belichick’s sentiments when it came to his own focus on the team, and the quarterback said that their endless commitment to each other is what led to all of their success.
“To Coach Belichick. Thank you for your tireless commitment to develop and push me to be my very best,” said Brady. “It wasn’t me. It wasn’t you. It was us. Our hard work, our love of the game, and the way we worked for one another, that’s what it was all about.”
“Let me make this crystal clear. There is no coach in the world I would rather play for than Bill Belichick.”
Brady was emotional at various points during the evening, but it absolutely came out when referring to his teammates, expressing how difficult things were at times and how hard everyone worked.
“If you thought you learned a lot from me, the reality was I learned way more from you,” said Brady. “We fought together, we bled together, we cried together, we celebrated and won together. And I would go to battle with any one of you guys because I know what you’re all about.”
He also gave some moving life advice to fans, saying that in life, nothing is easy and football taught him how to overcome adversity, and that success comes with determination.
“Life is hard,” said Brady. “No matter who you are, there are bumps and hits and bruises along the way. And my advice is to prepare yourself because football lessons teach us that success and achievement come from overcoming adversity, and that team accomplishment far exceeds anyone’s individual goals. To be successful at anything, the truth is you don’t have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren’t. Consistent, determined, and willing to work for it. No shortcuts.”
He closed things out by looking up to the crowd, his eyes welling up and his voice wavering as he spoke.
“You humble me,” he said. “You make me proud, and I am eternally grateful.”
“I am Tom Brady, and I am a Patriot.”
Just an incredible night that will live on forever. Congratulations to Brady, who we’ll likely next see later this fall as he turns the page to his career as a broadcaster on FoxSports.
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