Aaron Cortese was born and raised in Colorado, but his NFL loyalties lie with one of the Denver Broncos’ fiercest rivals.
When Cortese was young, his sister gifted him a Tom Brady action figure, sparking his diehard fandom for the New England Patriots. Being a fan of the five-time Super Bowl champions has been easy for Cortese, but his battle with chiari malformation hasn’t been as much of a walk in the park.
Cortese, now 20, has gone through 51 surgeries as a result of the spine condition. As the symptoms worsened, including becoming paralyzed from the waste down in 2014, Cortese’s parents were informed that their son might not live. In turn, Cortest made a bucket list with one special goal sitting on top: meet Tom Brady.
This dream started to become reality in 2015, when Brady sent Cortese a video message which started the bond between the two. In August of that year, Cortese and his family traveled to Foxboro, Mass. to finally meet TB12. But the friendship didn’t end there.
Brady and Cortese have remained in touch following their initial meeting two years ago, with the Patriots quarterback frequently sending video messages to his biggest fan. The two will get to spend time together once again this Sunday, as Brady and the Patriots are set to take on the Broncos at Sports Authority Field in a Week 10 showdown.
Denver is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL, but it’s safe to say that neither Brady nor Cortese will be intimidated by the orange crush.
You can learn more about Brady and Cortese’s friendship here.
