Here’s what New England Patriots QB Tom Brady had to say during his statue unveiling Friday night:
What’s happening, Foxborough? This is quite overwhelming, obviously, and I just thank you so much for being here. It means the world to me. I appreciate it. Thank you.”
“As RKK just said it perfectly, people will never forget how you made them feel. Right now, I feel extremely honored, deeply grateful, and if I’m being honest, kind of old. I’m also a little surprised because usually, they don’t build statues until you’re really old, like [Mike] Vrabel and [Tedy] Bruschi. It’s not every day you get a statue, at least not one like this. Seeing myself as a statue isn’t something I could have imagined growing up. When I was drafted, I just hoped to make the team. I never dreamed I’d be standing here two and a half decades later, made of bronze and frozen in time. It actually feels pretty appropriate given my 40-yard dash time. In all seriousness, this is an incredible honor. I’m humbled to be here today with so many people who helped make this possible, and also, today is the first time in my life that Boston sports writers will describe me as ‘chiseled’, so that’s a major, major win.”
“To the Kraft family, I can’t say thank you enough for believing in me from the very beginning. You didn’t just give me a place to play football, you gave me a home, a second family in the highest possible standards of excellence. Everything we accomplished here started with your leadership, with your commitment to doing things the right way. I love you.”‘
“To my teammates, every guy I shared the locker room with, every man who put in the work and the time and the sacrifice, thank you. We took the field expecting to win. When we did, we celebrated as a team always. To my coaches, thank you for pushing me every single day by always demanding the best. You helped me become the person and player that I am today. To my family, my kids, my parents, my sisters, all my friends who traveled long distances to be here, I wouldn’t be here without you all. Although I’m sure most of them are mumbling under their breath right now, ‘Yeah, we love you, but a statue, really?'”
“And to Patriots Nation, that’s you guys. I can’t put into words how much your support and your love meant to me. You showed up in the rain, in the snow, in zero-degree temperatures. [“Brady!, Brady!” chants] You guys showed up in these zero-degree temperatures, and you earned every single one of these banners that fly above this stadium forever. But in the end, this statue isn’t just for Pats fans. It’ll also give all the Jets fans something to throw their beers at as they leave the stadium every year, probably in the second quarter, maybe the third.”
“As for the statue itself, Jeff, you and your team did an incredible job. Seriously, it is so accurate, so detailed. Hold on one sec. [Holds up his cell phone] “Hello? Really? Okay.” Sorry, Jeff. That was Coach Belichick. He said there’s still room for improvement. I know the feeling.”
“Look, I know what this statue represents. It’s not about one guy. It never is. It never has been. And in football, it never will be. It’s about a team and a commitment to being great together. I’m proud to know that fans can show up at this stadium and feel as inspired as I always did playing here, to think that a kid from California might someday travel here to this plaza, stop, gaze at this work of art, and say, ‘Who the hell is that guy?'”
“I said this before, but I want to say it again. I’m humbled and honored to have been part of this organization for 20 incredible years. You guys shaped my life and the life of my family, and for that, I’m forever grateful. I hope I’ve given to you as much as you have given to me.”
“Thank you, New England. I love you, and let’s get ready to kick off the 2025 NFL season. Let’s go!”
(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.
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