Barstool’s Dave Portnoy Hilariously Recalls First Time Hearing About Tom Brady

FOXBORO, Mass. — Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy heard about Tom Brady long before he led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles.

Portnoy, a lifelong Patriots fans who is native of Swampscott, Mass., attended Michigan at the same time Brady played quarterback for the Wolverines.

And while on the Ann Arbor campus, Portnoy found out about Brady for the first time in a hilarious story he talked about on the red carpet prior to Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium.

“My first memory of Tom was a girl I went to Michigan with, she was like, ‘Hey, if you value your boyfriend, don’t let him meet Tom Brady.’ That was the first time I heard Tom Brady’s name. Swear to God,” Portnoy said. “He was awesome at Michigan by the way. He never got the starting job because of Drew Henson. But I followed his career forever.”

“… That was the first time I heard Tom Brady’s name.” @stoolpresidente had a fantastic story about his first memory of Tom Brady — and it wasn’t rooted from the football field. @NESN pic.twitter.com/Yi2NVymUZQ

— Sean T. McGuire (@BySeanMcGuire) June 12, 2024

While Portnoy got some early looks at Brady while at Michigan, he didn’t think Brady’s NFL career would turn out the way it did.

“I didn’t know he would be this,” Portnoy said. “Nobody knew he would be this.”

Portnoy along with fellow Barstool Sports comrades in John Feitelberg, Hank Lockwood and Paul Gulczynski made quite the entrance on the red carpet. The foursome wore the same attire they were in when they staged a sit at NFL headquarters in May 2015 and were arrested for protesting Brady’s suspension for his role in Deflategate.

The Brady 4 rides again pic.twitter.com/TQ6N2akNcP

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 12, 2024

Portnoy and crew are among a massive group of celebrities and former Patriots teammates of Brady’s who came out for the festivities.