FOXBORO — Sunday was Tom Brady day at Gillette Stadium. It will not be the only one, as team owner Robert Kraft announced that Brady will be back in the summer for an in-stadium induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
A little rain couldn’t put a damper on the Brady celebration at Gillette. The Patriots honored the man who helped bring six Super Bowl titles to New England at halftime of their Week 1 clash with the Eagles, announcing that he will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame next June.
Usually, there is a four-year waiting period for players to go into the Patriots Hall of Fame. But Tom Brady is not your usual player, so Kraft decided to make a special exception.
Brady will now become the 35th member of the Patriots Hall of Fame, and his induction figures to be a pretty big event. So Kraft also announced that the ceremony will take place in Gillette Stadium on June 12, 2024. It will be the first time that an induction ceremony for the Patriots Hall of Fame takes place inside the stadium.
It will be a ticketed event, with season ticket holders receiving first priority. More details will follow later this year.
Brady took the field for the ceremony like he did on most Sundays for the Patriots, racing out of the tunnel at full speed. And as he did throughout his Hall of Fame career, Brady used his speech at midfield to thank his former teammates and New England fans.
“What a day,” Brady said as he addressed the crowd. “The run out was a little longer than it used to be. I’m not quite in game shape. But it’s impossible for me to be in this stadium, with you incredible fans, teammates, family and friends, and not run out like I did for 20 years.
“This is an incredible celebration for me, for my family, for my teammates, for all of us to come back and thank you guys for what you’ve done for us. I was so fortunate to be drafted here two decades ago,” he continued. “Not even knowing where New England was — not that we put New England on the map. But I think a lot more people know where the New England Patriots play.
“We dealt with whatever came out way — a lot of adversities — and it toughened us up,” Brady said. “We, as a team, represented you guys every time we took the field. It’s one of my core beliefs, there is nothing significant in life that can be accomplished as an individual. It’s always about the team. We built a culture of teammates that cared about two things: They cared about each other, and they cared about winning. If you didn’t care about those two things, you didn’t last here very long. And we were very happy to play against you.
“We proved to America what teamwork was all about. Believing in each other, believing and playing for this community, and believing and playing for a common mission, we were able to pour out six of those banners and celebrate what teamwork was all about,” said Brady.
“One thing that will never change: I am a Patriot for life,” Brady closed to a rousing ovation. “Thank you guys for an incredible day. Thank you to my teammates, my family, my friends, my second family, and all of you guys for making it another day in this stadium I’ll never forget. I love you guys so much and I’ll see you again next summer.”
New England fans never really had a chance to give Brady a proper farewell after he left the Patriots in 2020, following his incredible 20-season run with the team. Brady returned to Gillette Stadium in 2021 as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and received ovations throughout, but Sunday gave Brady and Patriots fans to cheer for Brady — as a Patriot — one more time.
And a few more times will be coming in the near future. While his Hall of Fame induction was announced Sunday, we’d have to imagine a No. 12 will be retired soon enough, along with a Tom Brady statue being erected somewhere at Patriot Place.
Brady had over 20 friends and family members in attendance, with a large number of former New England teammates on hand as well. Brady also made sure to visit six other friends that he made from his time in New England:
Brady was also the first “Keeper of the Light” and rang the bell atop the new lighthouse in the north end zone at Gillette before the game.
If you missed Sunday’s Tom Brady ceremony, be sure to catch it in its entirety on Patriots 5th Quarter on TV38 after Sunday’s Patriots-Eagles game!
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