FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Tom Brady brought the New England Patriots endless memories and six Super Bowl trophies during his two-decade stint with the team.
The Patriots made sure their induction into the franchise’s Hall of Fame was a celebration unlike any before.
Dozens of Brady’s former teammates and coaches, spanning various eras of Patriots history, joined thousands of fans and celebrities, including Jay-Z and Bon Jovi, on Wednesday night to salute Brady as the 35th person to be consecrated in the team hall.
“Patriots Nation, it’s good to be home,” Brady said.
Before Brady spoke, team owner Robert Kraft brought Brady to tears when he announced that his number 12 would never be worn by another Patriots player.
“Number 12 is now officially retired,” Kraft said.
Kraft also announced that a 12-foot bronze statue of Brady was being commissioned and would be placed outside the Patriots Hall of Fame later this year.
On a night that felt like a Patriots family reunion, the biggest moment was reserved before Brady’s speech, when he reunited with former Patriots coach Bill Belichick. It included a lengthy ovation for Belichick, who parted ways with the team after the 2023 season.
“It was a great honor for me to draft Tom and coach him for 20 years,” Belichick told the crowd. “Everything he brought to the team was really an honor for me to be involved in.”
Brady weighed in on the never-ending debate over whether he or Belichick were most responsible for the Patriots’ success during their time together.
“It was not me. It was not you. That was us,” Brady said. “Let me be clear. There is no other coach I would rather play for than Bill Belichick.”
The night kicked off with a red carpet featuring a who’s who of Brady’s 20 seasons with the Patriots, including Ty Law, Willie McGinest, Randy Moss, Vince Wilfork, Drew Bledsoe and Rob Gronkowski, among others. It also included Brady’s parents, Tom Sr. and Galynn Brady.
The official ceremony inside Gillette Stadium kicked off with a smoky performance by rapper Jay-Z of his 2003 “Public Service Announcement,” which Brady used as entrance music when he ran onto the field to warm up before games.
This evening, Brady left the stage at the end of Jay-Z’s performance, walking through the section reserved for the night’s special guests before taking a seat on stage.
There he watched video tributes from his competitors over the years, including Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, Charles Woodson and Jason Taylor. There were also video appearances by former New York Giants Michael Strahan and Eli Manning, who were booed by fans who hadn’t forgotten how the Giants ruined the Patriots’ attempt at a perfect season with their upset in the 2007 Super Bowl. Brady and company again in the 2011 Super Bowl.
Other video cameos included some of Boston’s most famous celebrities, such as Red Sox great David Ortiz and Matt Damon.
The No. 199 pick in the 2000 draft, Brady inherited the starting job in his second season in New England when Bledsoe, the former No. 1 overall pick, was injured and led the Patriots to the Super Bowl championship that year. He won five more titles over the next two decades.
Back to Brady, Bledsoe joked that Brady didn’t follow rule No. 1 as his backup.
“You were the worst backup quarterback in NFL history,” Bledsoe said. “You never learned that when I got healthy, you should sit down again.”
There were exciting moments. Like when some of Brady’s key playmakers – Moss, Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Wes Welker joined Brady on stage.
Moss was moved to tears as the crowd applauded him for two minutes. Moss recalled how, when he arrived in New England in 2007, he knew he needed to be around Brady.
“Put my locker next to Tom Brady’s and the rest will take care of itself,” Moss said.
There were also surprise guests, such as Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning participating in a discussion with Brady and the evening’s host Mike Tirico to discuss the quarterbacks’ on-field matchups over the years.
Manning revealed how he never counted out the Patriots when his teams faced Brady, especially when Brady had the ball with a chance to win late in games.
“I was praying on the sidelines,” Manning said. “I never pray on the sidelines.”
Brady also praised Manning, calling him one of his best friends. He also noted how he has followed Manning’s career as a young quarterback since high school.
“There’s no one like Peyton Manning right now,” Brady said.
Manning even made some of his classic jokes, drawing applause from an often hostile New England crowd when he lamented, “They like me here because I always lost here.”
In front of a crowd wearing his No. 12 jersey, Brady said his family and the Patriots will forever be intertwined.
“I feel like we’re still the family trying to love each other,” Brady said. “We’re adopted from New England.”
At one point, Brady ran down the list of towns he lived in in New England during his time with the Patriots, from Franklin to Quincy to Chestnut Hill to Brookline.
Brady concluded his speech in tears.
“I’m Tom Brady. And I’m a patriot,” he said.
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