Tom Brady was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame on Wednesday in a huge, star-studded celebration of his incomparable career and legacy — and the NFL icon made sure to share a heartfelt shoutout to the people that mean the most to him.
As Brady took the stage at the grand ceremony in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the seven-time Super Bowl champion expressed his gratitude for the Patriots, his fans and his children.
“Your dad loves you more than anything in this world,” Brady shared, beaming. “Your smiles outshine the morning sun. And where I live now, that’s a pretty brilliant sun.”
“There’s no greater joy than watching the three of you grow and teach me things on your way to becoming incredible young adults,” Brady added.
Tom Brady addresses the crowd at his New England Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 12, 2024. – JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images
Brady is dad to son Benjamin, 14, and daughter Vivian, 11 — whom he shares with ex-wife Gisele Bündchen — as well as Jack, 16, from his previous relationship with Bridget Moynahan.
During his speech Brady said it was “good to be home,” and expressed that he was “overwhelmed with gratitude and a deep sense of honor.”
“Relationships are built on shared experience, and the most meaningful things in my life are my relationships,” Brady told the cheering crowd. “I 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.”
Ahead of the induction, Brady also took to Instagram to share a sweet video his kids made to celebrate the momentous event in his career.
“Hey, Dad, we’re all so excited to be back in Boston this week,” Vivian said in the sweet clip, “and I thought it would be fun to look back at all those amazing years as a Patriot.”
“My kids surprised me this morning with this video, and I wanted to share it with my Patriot family too,” Brady captioned the post. “What a ride. See you tonight New England.”
Brady spoke with ET’s Kevin Frazier Wednesday morning, and he shared some sweet comments about his kids and fatherhood.
Brady said that out of all the accomplishments in his life — and there’s quite a few — being a dad is among the most rewarding roles he has taken on.
“There’s no greater joy for me than being in these kids’ lives and just watching them grow up and mature,” Brady said. “And I love when they’re with me and I love when they’re around the things that I’m doing. These kids make every day of my life better.”
Brady was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round with the 199th overall selection in the 2000 NFL Draft. He faithfully led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins throughout his 20 seasons with the team before his 2020 exit to go play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While he ultimately retired after three seasons with the Florida NFL team, Brady is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
Tom Brady is given his red Hall of Fame jacket by New England Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft at the induction ceremony on June 12, 2024. – Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Patriots even waived the traditional requirement that a player wait four years before being inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame, calling him a critical member of the Patriots dynasty. He is the 35th Patriot to be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.
“Pretty amazing,” Brady told ET when asked what it means to receive the honor. “This journey started 24 years ago here and I saw a lot of my teammates last night. Just overwhelmed, I would say, is probably the one word that describes it all … it’s a very unique moment for me. It’s just a really cool celebration for all of us tonight. It’s really not all about me. It’s about us and our teams and what we accomplish together. It’ll be really special tonight.”
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