Before Tom Brady was honored at halftime of Sunday’s Patriots game, he jogged the length of the Gillette Stadium field, Jay-Z’s “Public Service Announcement” blaring, and revved up the crowd with one of his signature fist pumps.
Brady’s simulation of his iconic entrance was the most memorable moment from his return to Foxboro, Mass. It also was, according to the quarterback, a late addition that was inspired by one of his oldest rivals: Peyton Manning.
When Manning appeared on Brady’s “Let’s Go!” podcast Monday, the former New England QB said he got the idea by watching a video of Manning’s 2017 number retirement ceremony in Indianapolis.
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“On Sunday morning at 6 a.m. when I woke up, I said, ‘You know what I’m gonna do? I don’t quite know what I’m gonna say to the crowd. Let me look at some of my favorite players get up there in their retirements and speak,’ ” Brady said. “I Google ‘Peyton Manning jersey retirement speech.’ …
“He goes up on stage, says great things like he always does, gets off the stage, (Jeff) Saturday snaps him the ball and he fires a post to Reggie (Wayne) and he hits Reggie in the end zone. So I was like, you know what? I’m gonna do something fun that the crowd’s gonna really like. So let me run out there, kind of do my thing and I’ll get up on stage and have a good time.
“So, Peyton, I will say even though you weren’t there, you were a part of that celebration for me.”
Brady called his day back at Gillette “surreal” and “unbelievable.” During his halftime address, Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced the team will waive the standard four-year waiting period and induct Brady into the franchise’s Hall of Fame next summer.
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That ceremony is scheduled for June 12, 2024.
Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images
