Tom Brady is ready to put the case of his stolen Super Bowl jerseys to rest.
In an interview with ESPN.com’s Ian O’Connor published Monday, the New England Patriots quarterback said he does not want to see the man who pilfered his Super Bowl XLIX and LI jerseys punished for his crimes.
“I really don’t like anyone to ever get in trouble,” Brady said. “To me, I’m just happy I was able to get it back. … My reaction then wasn’t heartbroken. I thought, at the end of the day, it was a jersey.”
A lengthy international investigation ultimately led authorities to Mexican journalist Martin Mauricio Ortega, who was found in possession of both Brady jerseys as well as gear that Denver Broncos defensive end Von Miller wore in Super Bowl 50. Brady’s jerseys were returned to him in April, shortly before the Patriots were honored on Opening Day at Fenway Park.
“No, absolutely not,” Brady reiterated when O’Connor asked whether he wants to see Ortega thrown in jail. “I don’t like conflict. It’s just inherent in who I am.”
Brady’s Super Bowl LI jersey had special significance to the 39-year-old Patriots star. Not only because New England completed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history in that game, but also because it was the only game all season Brady’s mother, Galynn, was able to attend.
Galynn Brady spent much of the 2016Â season undergoing cancer treatments but was healthy enough to travel to Houston to watch her son win his fifth Super Bowl ring.
“It was the first year in all the years I’ve played sports where it really wasn’t their choice to come or not come,” Brady told O’Connor. “… I kept saying, ‘Mom, you’ve got to take care of yourself. Dad, you’ve got to take care of yourself.’ They should be taken care of. I was happy they were able to be at home and not deal with flights and not deal with a lot of stress from the games.
“They wanted to come at different times. I said, ‘Don’t worry, Mom, we’re going to get you to Houston.’ She really set her sights on that as her treatment was coming to an end.”
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
