FOXBOROUGH – It was a party fit for the GOAT.
On Wednesday, Tom Brady became the 35th person inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in a two-and-a-half-hour event. Owner Robert Kraft also announced that the No. 12 has been retired and a new 12-foot Brady statue will be built outside the team’s Hall this season.
The organization put together a special induction ceremony inside Gillette Stadium and aptly picked June 12 to honor the seven-time Super Bowl champion. It featured special guests ranging from celebrities to over 100 Patriots alumni. This event included comedy acts by Bill Burr and musical performances from Jon Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney and Jay-Z.
Fans gave standing ovations to several special guests, including Bill Belichick, who honored Brady before the quarterback was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.
“Tonight is a celebration for everyone who has ever cared for this organization,” Brady said. “If you spent time in this organization, you are blessed… Nobody individually hangs those six banners up there. The team does. In New England, it’s about we and us, not me or I.”
Here’s an in-depth look at how the Patriots honored the greatest quarterback of all time.
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BRADY ARRIVED at Gillette Stadium just before 6 p.m. where he was welcomed by Robert Kraft and his wife Dana Blumberg. Dressed in a navy suit with black sunglasses, the quarterback walked onto the red carpet where he fist-bumped the owner and was interviewed by current Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise and former Patriots defensive back Jason McCourty.
Brady said this moment wasn’t about him, but the people who helped him along the way.
“When you talked into this building, the one thing you did was care about the people you were there with,” Brady said. “You cared about your teammates. You cared about your coaches… For me, seeing everybody enjoy themselves and being here… Life to me has always been about the relationships you have.”
Kraft retold the story of when he first met Brady in 2000 after the team drafted the quarterback in the sixth round. The quarterback boldly told the owner, “I’m the best decision your organization has ever made.”
“He’s correct,” Kraft said.
Brady was joined by family, including his parents, sisters, and children. Inside the stadium, dozens of former and current Patriots were present and seated in front of a giant stage with a nautical blue background with a large number 12.
Head coach Jerod Mayo addressed the crowd before the festivities began and right after that, the Patriots rookie class, led by Drake Maye, filed into the stadium wearing their jerseys.
AT 7:03 P.M., smoke filled the stage. Jay-Z emerged, performing “Public Service Announcement,” which was Brady’s Patriots intro song.
A minute after Jay-Z started, Brady walked into the stadium. He greeted guests, doled out hugs, and posed for photos with his sons before taking a seat at a round white table with his family.
At 7:08 p.m., comedian Bill Burr addressed the crowd where he discussed (and joked) about how poor of shape the Patriots organization used to be in. He also talked about how no one will surpass Brady’s 10 Super Bowl runs before cracking a joke about the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I don’t wanna hear about that guy from the Chiefs. Andy Reid is too fat,” Burr cracked.
Burr then introduced NBC’s Mike Tirico, who served as the host of the Hall of Fame ceremony. A video was then played showing Brady’s parents and sisters talking about the quarterback’s life and journey in New England.
BRADY WAS WELCOMED on stage at 7:25 p.m. and ‘Brady! Brady! Brady!’ chants filled the stadium.
“It’s so difficult to put into words what his amazing night means to me and my family,” Brady said.
Brady discussed how much the region meant to him and talked about how much the fan support meant to his family. The quarterback then teared up while discussing Kraft and his late wife, Myra.
“God rest her soul,” Brady said. “She had a huge impact on my life.”
FORMER PATRIOTS were also a big part of the show.
Patrick Chung and Rob Ninkovich told stories of Brady getting angry at the defense when he’d throw interceptions in practice. Chung said Brady would come back the next day and light the group up.
Willie McGinest told a similar story saying they nicknamed the scout-team defense, the ‘Dirty Dogs’ with the goal to annoy the quarterback.
“They would do anything to get him out of character,” McGinest said. “We knew he had the DNA to be one of the greats because he never backed down.
Ty Law talked about Brady’s competitive fire saying he believed the quarterback is the “greatest football player of all time.”
Brady returned the pleasantries, praising his teammates and explaining why people like Law and McGinest made him so much better.
BRADY WAS THEN CONGRATULATED by several competitors in a video montage.
That included Charles Woodson, Ray Lewis, Jason Taylor, Ed Reed, Michael Strahan, and Eli Manning, who drew a large chorus of boos. Those boos became louder when Patrick Mahomes appeared on screen.
“From one Wolverine to another, cheers to you,” Woodson said. “I almost forgot – it was a damn fumble.”
At 7:57 p.m., Payton Manning was brought on stage as a surprise guest. The quarterback talked about meeting and seeing Brady in 2001 before the Patriots quarterback made his first start against the Indianapolis Colts.
“I remember meeting Tom before the game. I just remember how calm, cool, and collected he was for a guy making his first start,” Manning said. “Then things went downhill for me.”
Brady said he became the player he did because of Manning. That was because he looked up to the former No. 1 overall pick.
“After every season, I watched every Colts game to see what they were doing,” Brady said. “I looked up and aspired to be like him.”
Manning said he was honored to be back at Gillette Stadium and planned on traveling to Canton when Brady was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
AT 8:13 P.M., Logan Mankins and Dan Koppen introduced Josh McDaniels, Drew Bledsoe, Matt Cassel, and Brian Hoyer on stage for a Patriots quarterback room chat.
Bledsoe started by praising Brady, saying they weren’t here to celebrate him as a player, but as a person. McDaniels added that when he became the Patriots offensive coordinator, at age 28, Brady knew more than he did, but the quarterback played a part in him developing as a coach.
Cassell said Brady became his workout partner during his four years in New England. Brady would tell the younger quarterback what to do and Cassell did everything he said from boxing to yoga.
Hoyer relayed a story where he was afraid to ask for Brady’s number during his rookie season. Then he found out that the veteran was the ultimate leader and mentor.
The quarterbacks also told stories about Brady’s toughness. Bledsoe took credit for that.
“He knew if he missed a game then some young punk was going to take his job,” Bledsoe said. “You were the worst backup quarterback in the history of the NFL. You never learned when I got healthy that you were supposed to sit back down.”
KEVIN FAULK AND JAMES WHITE introduced Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, Randy Moss, and Rob Gronkowski. The four pass catchers had the most touchdown receptions from Brady.
The crowd went nuts for Moss, giving him a standing ovation a the receiver had tears in his eyes. He told a story of when he was first acquired by the Patriots.
“Put my locker beside Tom Brady’s and the rest will take care of itself,” Moss said.
Welker talked about how hard it was to play with Brady, but the quarterback’s drive made him a better player. Edelman told a story about when he was drafted in 2008, Brady introduced himself and knew the receiver’s name and facts about him.
“That’s something he did with everyone around the facility,” Edelman said.
Gronk also talked about his rookie season saying that Brady lit a fire under him. The tight end recalled a time when he ran the wrong route, and the quarterback told him when he did that, he wouldn’t throw him the ball.
“I knew why he was on my case,” Gronkowski said. “He wanted me to be the best player I could possibly be.”
David Andrews spoke to the crowd at 8:54 p.m. The Patriots center and country music fan introduced Kenny Chesney.
Chesney performed “Boys of Fall” as red and white fireworks went off overhead.
THE REAL FIREWORKS HAPPENED next at 9:04 p.m.
That’s when Deion Branch and Troy Brown introduced former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick as a surprise guest. The Gillette Stadium fans gave Belichick a standing ovation. It was so loud, that the coach had to pause before speaking.
“This is such a warm welcome,” Belichick said. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me to come back here.”
Belichick said it was an honor to draft and coach Brady. He recalled some of his favorite memories – a five-touchdown performance (all in the second quarter) against Tennessee in 2007, a touchdown pass to Gronk in Super Bowl XLIX, and multiple Brady run plays.
“The thing about Tom I think is so impressive, so unbelievably impressive and what he did for us for 20 years, he avoided bad plays,” Belichick said. “… Sometimes people don’t give him enough credit for how few bad plays he had at quarterback.”
That brought Belichick to the “one bad decision Tom did make.”
Belichick said he was invited to play golf at the Pebble Beach Open. They were at the sixth hole, a par 5, near a cliff. That’s when Brady hits a ball near the ledge on the cliff, close to a 250-foot drop into the ocean.
“I look at Tom and I look at the ocean and I’m thinking about our quarterback and our season,” Belichick said. “He takes the club, has one foot on the ledge… and pitches it up on the fairway… Then he needs the caddie to (help) him up.”
Belichick said he thought Brady should’ve taken a drop – as opposed to getting too close to the cliff.
The coach then explained that some of the “best times” of his career were meeting with Brady twice a week for game-plan preparation.
“His determination and relentless pursuit of excellence was beyond anything I’ve seen from players at that position,” Belichick said.
The Patriots coach talked for around 20 minutes and honored his assistant coaches, who helped Brady and named several standout former players.
Belichick wrapped up his speech by giving Brady a heartfelt thank you.
“Thank you for all you’ve done for us. Thank you for all you’ve done for me. And thank you for the example and model you’ve been for all of us. You’re unbelievable,” Belichick said. “Congratulations.”
MATTHEW SLATER helped wrap things up at 9:26 p.m. The former special teams ace, captain, and All-Pro introduced Kraft to the stage. The Patriots owner explained that he waived the four-year waiting period to induct Brady into the team’s Hall of Fame.
“Your tenacity, resilience, and sheer will to win elevated the performance to everyone around you,” Kraft said. “In 20 years, you instilled a level of confidence that didn’t exist before your arrival… What you gave Patriots fans went beyond pride.”
A video, narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, played, honoring Brady and the No. 12 as red fireworks shot into the dark sky.
“Tonight, I promise that it will never be worn again,” Kraft said. “The number 12 is now officially retired.”
Kraft then announced that a 12-foot bronze Tom Brady statue would be built in the plaza outside the team’s Hall of Fame. It’ll be completed during the 2024 NFL season.
AT 9:44 P.M., KRAFT INTRODUCED BRADY to the stage where the quarterback put on his red Patriots Hall of Fame jacket.
Before he spoke, red fireworks shot into the sky as fans were once again on their feet.
“Patriot nation, it feels good to be home,” Brady said. “I’m overwhelmed with a great sense of gratitude… I miss this place and I miss you.”
Brady got emotional thanking the Kraft family, his former teammates, coaches, family, and fans.
“How do I sum up two decades in New England in one short speech? You can’t,” Brady said. “it’s hard for me to express my gratitude… It would take me 30 days to get through it all. Not 30 minutes.”
Brady also got emotional talking about his former head coach.
“To coach Belichick… It wasn’t me. It wasn’t you. It was us,” Brady said. “Let me make this crystal clear, there is no other coach in the entire world I would rather play for.”
Brady spoke passionately about the game of football, what the Patriots accomplished, and how grateful he is for it all.
“You make me eternally grateful,” he said. “I am Tom Brady and I am a Patriot.”
