Nearly a year after leaving the Patriots, Tom Brady still has plenty of fans in New England.
Brady on Wednesday expressed his appreciation for the support he's received from fans of his former team as he prepares for his first Super Bowl as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
"Obviously, any time you change teams, you don't know how it's going to go," the quarterback said. "But I think there's been incredible support I've had from -- the team I used to play for, all the New England fans, and I still obviously have a great affection for New England.
"I said the other day, my kids were born in Boston. So I have a lot of love for Boston and all of New England and the incredible support over the years. Again, it was an amazing two decades in my life."
Brady said he's also heard from several of his old Patriots teammates and coaches as he prepares to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday in Super Bowl LV. A handful of current Patriots congratulated Brady on social media after his NFC Championship Game victory over the Green Bay Packers.
"I'll always have a presence (in New England)," Brady said. "I have a lot of friends there. It's just really cool to be able to have that experience in my life, and then again, have my football journey taken me to somewhere else and then come down here and play for a different team but still have incredible support.
"Even all the guys I used to play with in New England -- I have a lot of friends, I've heard from so many of my teammates, so many of my old coaches that are wishing me luck. It's been really cool."
Brady played in nine Super Bowls during his 20 seasons in New England, winning six.
