The NFL world has been celebrating Tom Brady's legacy on the field, but the wife of a former teammate chose to acknowledge who the future Hall of Fame quarterback was off the field.
Brady announced his retirement Wednesday after 23 seasons. There were many comments that thanked the 45-year-old for his accomplishments in the NFL and others praised the QB as the greatest of all time.
Former teammates like Julian Edelman had some fun in their posts in tribute to Brady, but Logan Ryan's wife, Ashley Bragg, shared a personal story on Instagram that highlighted the seven-time Super Bowl champion's commitment to the local community and his children.
"I guess I'll chime in with my Tom Brady story, but it's not the one about 7 Super Bowls or being down 28-3 or his last pass as a Patriot," Bragg wrote on Instagram. "We all know those.
"It's the one about the dad who volunteered at the animal shelter with his kids throughout an entire football season. The one where he bonded with his kids over naming puppies and bottle feeding kittens. The one where he silently showed up every other week to make a difference for his family and his community. The one where 2 dads just got to be dads and beamed with pride every time their kids said 'Please can we just stay a little bit longer?!' The one where two little girls built a friendship around their love of tiny baby kittens and did their part in making the world a better place for animals.
"These pictures were from August and we didn't take many more after that. Not publicly at least. It wasn't about publicity, fundraising or recognition. It was about being a human being. It was about Tom taking the very thing his little girl loves the most and turning it into an opportunity to spend time together. It was about Tom reaching out to his friend, asking how to get involved, helping his community by giving something far more meaningful than money ... his time.
"Greatest QB of all time, no doubt. But I'm humbled most by the person you are off the field, TB! Congrats!"
Bragg's story came with a post of herself, Brady, Ryan, who played with the QB when they were with the New England Patriots together in 2013-2016 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past season, and their kids with puppies. And there also was a video of Brady and Ryan petting the pups.
Brady now will have more time to spend with his three kids -- hopefully with a little more privacy now that his playing career his over. There still is a future in the FOX booth, but many are excited to see what's next for Brady, including his ex-wife Gisele Bündchen.
