FOXBORO, Mass. — Tom Brady is the newest member of the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Here are the top takeaways from the first-of-its-kind event at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday night.
Forever a Patriot
“Patriot Nation, it feels good to be home,” Brady said as he stepped the microphone. Brady shared his gratitude for his parents, sisters, children, along with Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the Kraft family. Brady got choked up a few times, including when he mentioned Kraft’s late wife, Myra Kraft, and when he praised all the offensive linemen who protected him.
Brady concluded: “I am Tom Brady, and I am a Patriot.”
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Honors for No. 12
Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced plans to retire the No. 12 in New England. Kraft also revealed the Patriots will unveil a statue of Brady during the 2024 NFL campaign. The bronze statue, which will stand 12 feet tall, will be located in front of the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Bill Belichick arrives
The longtime Patriots head coach was introduced by former receivers Troy Brown and Deion Branch, and fans were thrilled to have him in attendance. Belichick walked onto the stage to a thunderous applause, gave Brady a hug and thanked fans for the cheers.
“Thank you, Patriots Nation!” Belichick opened. “Such a warm welcome, I can’t tell you how much it means to me.
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“It was a tremendous honor and privilege for me to draft Tom and to coach him for 20 years,” Belichick said. “Everything he brought to the team, it was really an honor for me to be involved with that.”
When Brady stepped to the mic later on, he offered a message for Belichick: “It wasn’t me. It wasn’t you. It was us.
“Let me make this clear, there is no coach I would rather play for.”
Musical guests
Jay-Z was one of two musical performances, and certainly got the night started on a high note. Jay-Z opened with “Public Service Announcement,” the longtime anthem of Brady every time he ran onto the field before a game. Patriots fans surely will recall the “Allow me to re-introduce myself!” line. Country singer Kenny Chesney, a well-known Patriots fan who has called Gillette Stadium home to countless concerts, performed 2010 hit “The Boys of Fall.” Chesney shared an embrace with Brady as well.
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Hundreds of teammates on hand
Mike Tirico, the NBC Sports broadcaster and host of the ceremony, shared there were more than 100 of Brady’s former teammates on hand. Tirico mentioned there were an additional 100-plus former Patriots players. Robert Kraft shared it was a crowd of 60,000 fans.
Plenty of emotions
Arguably one of the most emotional moments of the night was when Randy Moss, who played three-plus seasons with Brady, sat down alongside fellow Brady pass-catchers including Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker. Moss was the recipient of one of the largest ovations, which went on for 45-plus seconds and caused him to get emotional with tears in his eyes. The reception for Edelman caused a similar moment for the Super Bowl LIII MVP.
Loudest of boos
A handful of Brady’s former opponents sent congratulatory messages, which was showed on the Gillette Stadium jumbotron. While Ray Lewis and Eli Manning each received plenty of boos from those in attendance, Patrick Mahomes’ message could not even be heard.
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Bill Burr shreds
Burr, in contrast to Drew Bledsoe, Gronkowski and others, didn’t leave his material in Hollywood. The well-known comedian and Boston sports fans shredded Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and food enthusiast Guy Fieri during a lighthearted skit.
Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images
