Tom Brady Wrote Powerful Hall Of Fame Endorsement Letter For Jason Taylor

Tom Brady and Jason Taylor were rivals on the field, but it turns out that rivalry also led to mutual respect.

How else could you explain what the New England Patriots quarterback did to help Taylor get selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017?

Brady, who was sacked 11.5 times by Taylor during his career, actually wrote a letter endorsing the former Miami Dolphins defensive end for the Hall of Fame.

“The games against Jason are some of most (well, maybe least) memorable,” Brady wrote, via the Miami Herald. “He is one of the greatest opponents I’ve ever faced, having had the ‘pleasure’ of looking across the line and seeing him on the opposite side of the ball, not once, but twice each season for a decade. While I entered the league with a healthy respect for Jason and the incredibly talented Miami defense he led, my admiration for him as a player and a person only continued to grow with each play; each game; each season.

“The word I typically used to describe Jason was tenacious. His effort was second to none. Regardless of the situation, Jason came after me with the same reckless abandon on each and every snap, getting to his target often. I remember hearing once that he sacked me more than any other quarterback in the NFL, a painful badge of honor for myself. Jason was incredible against the run as well and never took a play off.”

Taylor was selected to the Class of 2017 as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and he certainly earned the nod with his 139.5 sacks during 15 NFL seasons. And we’re guessing TB12 will join him there one day, too.