Here’s what New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had to say prior to the unveiling of the statue for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady Friday night.
“Well, I hope this is a predictor of the upcoming season, this kind of support. I want to thank you all for being here this evening as we honor and immortalize the legendary career of a sports icon, the greatest NFL player of all time, Tom Brady.”
“You know, there’s a saying, People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel, and for two decades, Tom Brady made [the] Patriots feel invincible. His story wasn’t scripted, it was earned. Every yard, every fourth-quarter comeback, every win, Tom was the 199th draft pick who not only transformed himself into the greatest quarterback the league has ever seen, but he also helped transform the Patriots into a 20-year dynasty. He demanded excellence of himself and made everyone around him better. Tom wasn’t just the face of our franchise. He was the true heartbeat. It’s hard to overstate what Tom accomplished. He just didn’t rewrite the record books. He practically authored a new volume. Since Tom’s departure, we’ve been reminded just how difficult it is to win consistently in the NFL. But during his time here, winning didn’t just become the expectation. It became the norm. In 18 seasons as a starter in New England, he led the Patriots to 17 playoff appearances, all as AFC East Division champions. Thirteen trips to the AFC Championship Game, nine AFC conference titles, and, of course, six Super Bowl Championships.”
“Dominance like that isn’t just rare, it’s unprecedented. Tom orchestrated four of the longest winning streaks in NFL history, including 10 straight playoff wins and three separate 21-game win streaks. His fierce competitiveness and relentless drive led to a legacy that cemented the Patriots as the greatest dynasty in football history.”
“And yet, stats only tell part of the story. Who could forget the snowy night in Foxborough against the Raiders? The last game ever played in the old stadium or the near-impossible 28-3 comeback against the Falcons in Super Bowl 51. These weren’t miracles. They were just chapters in the epic career of Tom Brady. His passing precision led us to victories. But his heart and competitive drive and refusal to quit, that gave us a legacy.”
“Since his retirement, we sought the best way to celebrate his legendary career with our fans. In 2023, we welcomed Tom home for our season opener, honoring him with a halftime ceremony, where I announced that we would waive the four-year wait period for induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
“On June 12th, last year, in front of 65,000 fans, we hosted the greatest Hall of [Fame] Ceremony of all time for the greatest of all time. Let’s take a quick look at a few of the highlights.”
[Video montage plays]
“Now, before we unveil this statue, I’d like to share a few details. We had numerous sculptors eager to take on this project, but we wanted someone whose craftsmanship and passion for the Patriots match the magnitude of the statue. We chose Jeff Buccacio, a New England native with over 25 years of experience in fine arts sculpting. A lifelong Patriots fan, Jeff and his crew invested more than 20,000 hours to perfect this statue, and they did an outstanding job, in my opinion.”
“Some of the iconic numbers associated with Tom Brady’s Patriots’ career are 12, 6, and 17. His uniform number, his Super Bowl titles, and his division championships. Those ended up being numbers used for some of the statue’s measurements. First, I wanted the statue to be larger than life, just like Tommy is, and I asked that it stand 12 feet tall. The granite base was quarried in Vermont. The shape represents the six Super Bowl championships that Tom Brady helped to deliver to the six New England states. Overall, it is 17 feet tall, representing his 17 AFC East division titles in 18 years. More than the record in rings, Tom gave us moments that felt timeless. Sundays became sacred. Families gathered, generations shared together. Tom and the Patriots brought millions of people together and brought great pride to Patriots Nation. Tommy, you have not only etched your name in NFL history, you’ve etched it in all our hearts, and now your likeness will forever stand tall here at Gillette Stadium, just like you did standing tall, poised, and laser-focused. People may forget what’s said tonight, but may this statue forever remind us what Tom Brady did and how he made us all feel.
“On a personal note, Tommy, after my family, there’s no human being on the planet that I love and respect as much as you.”
“Now, for the moment we’ve all been waiting for.”
And with that, they unveiled Brady’s Statue.
Here’s what Brady had to say after he took the podium during the ceremony.
(Editor’s Note: This transcript is done via the available footage and is subject to typos. If you spot something, please take a moment to let me know in the comments below.)
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
