Tom Brady officially inducted into New England Patriots Hall of Fame and has No. 12 jersey retired
By Jacob Lev, CNN
(CNN) — Tom Brady was officially inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame in front of a packed Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Wednesday.
In addition to becoming the 35th player to be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame, Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced that Brady’s No. 12 jersey would be retired and a 12-foot statue of the legendary quarterback will be unveiled during the upcoming NFL season.
After Brady received his red jacket, the 46-year-old told a roaring crowd of over 60,000 people: “Patriot Nation, it feels good to be home.”
He added: “This evening marks a monumental moment in my life. It’s a celebration of 20 years here in New England, playing for the Patriots, playing for you, the greatest fans in the NFL.”
Brady, while looking at the six Super Bowl banners that are hung up at the stadium, continued: “It’s always about we, and us, not me or mine.”
“Relationships are built on shared experience, and the most meaningful things in my life are my relationships.
“I truly wish I had more time; I wish I had more time to give you all. So, how do I sum up two decades in New England in one short speech? The answer is simple: You can’t.”
It was a star-studded affair at the stadium that Brady called home for 20 seasons and where he won six Super Bowls and three MVP titles.
His former head coach Bill Belichick, along with former teammates including Rob Gronkowski, Drew Bledsoe, Julian Edelman, Randy Moss were just some of those in attendance.
Brady went on to thank his teammates and coaches, saying it “would be impossible to find better examples of men who embody that work ethic, integrity, purpose, determination, and discipline that it takes to be a champion in life.”
“We led by example,” Brady added. “Nothing in life of significance is ever accomplished alone. That’s the Patriot way. Here in New England, we were the first team ever to take the field in the Super Bowl, not as individuals, but as a single unit.
“That’s us. We did that and we were the best in the world and history will never forget that. It is the honor of my life to take my place among these other Patriot Hall of Famers and to be officially enshrined into the winning legacy of this amazing organization.
“You humble me. You make me proud and I am eternally grateful.”
Brady would win his seventh Super Bowl title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021 and retired in 2023 with almost every passing record, including regular season passing yards (89,214) and passing touchdowns (649). He has also amassed the most wins of any player in NFL history (251).
An emotional Brady concluded his speech by saying: “I am Tom Brady, and I am a Patriot.”
The-CNN-Wire
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