Read Tom Brady’s speech at the Patriots’ HOF ceremony.
“I am Tom Brady, and I am a Patriot.”
After multiple speeches, video tributes, and honors commemorating 20 years of football success, Tom Brady strolled up to the podium at a crowded Gillette Stadium and delivered a passionate 20-minute address to finish off his Hall of Fame induction.
Brady discussed several topics, including his several Super Bowl victories, connections with hundreds of teammates, ties with Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft, and the New England fans.
Here’s Brady’s address.
“Thanks, folks. Okay, everyone, seat down.”
Patriot Nation, it’s good to come home. This evening represents a pivotal milestone in my life. It’s a celebration of 20 years in New England, playing for the Patriots and for you, the NFL’s greatest fans. I’m overcome with appreciation and a strong sense of honor. So, thank you for everything you’ve done to aid me. To assist us in realizing our long-term goals.
You guys are fantastic. What other supporters in the world would travel hours on Route 1 every Sunday to reach a stadium in the midst of the woods? We even have four individuals who went to jail for me sitting here as RKK’s special guests. I miss both this place and you. And I didn’t even push you to get lubed tonight, but you guys did what you always do, and I adore it.
Tonight is a celebration for everyone who has ever cared about this organization. Everyone who has toiled, cheered, and sacrificed for it in the past, present, and future. I swear this isn’t like the last time I shared the stage with RKK, Coach Belichick, Jules, Gronk, and Randy in Los Angeles a month ago. Those were the most difficult hits I’ve ever endured in my life. But nobody is taking any hits tonight. I have so much love and respect for all of you.
You are fortunate to have spent time with this group. We are fortunate because we learn so many things that most people never have the opportunity to do. That nothing significant in life is accomplished by an individual. Nobody personally hangs those six banners up there. The team does.
In New England, it is always about ‘we’ and ‘us’ rather than’me’ or’mine.’ Shared experiences provide the foundation of relationships, and my relationships are the most important aspect of my existence. I just wish I had more time. I wish I had more time for all of you.
So, how do I summarize two decades in New England in a single short speech? The answer is simple: you cannot. It’s difficult for me to adequately convey my gratitude and appreciation for how my stay here has enriched my life. There are too many lessons learnt, too many stories to tell, and too many wonderful experiences and accomplishments that we all shared. It would take me 30 days to get through everything, not
There are too many people to thank, and I apologize in advance if I leave anyone out. So, with that stated, thank you, my mother and father – my rock and foundation. Your love and dedication to your family are unparalleled. To my sisters, you are everything. I will never be able to thank you enough. When you don’t believe in yourself, it takes someone else to believe in you, and you provided me with that, among other things.
People often ask my sisters, Maureen, Julie, and Nancy, where I got my mental toughness. I was the fourth-best athlete in my own household. I had no choice. My sisters always stood up for me. You toughened me up in so many ways, and my sisters were there for me every step of the way. I adore you both very much.
To my children, Jack, Benny, and Vivi, your father loves you more than anything in the world. Your smiles outshine the early sun. And where I reside today, the sun is quite brilliant. There is no greater joy than watching the three of you mature and teach me new things as you prepare to become fantastic young people.
Thank you to the San Mateo and Ann Arbor neighborhoods, as well as the many teammates, neighbors, coaches, and teachers who helped shape me into the man I am today. You’ve always believed in me. My representatives were Don Yee and Steve Dubin, two men who took a hot-headed sixth-round pick out of Michigan and guided him through the tornado of the following 23 years.
I apologize for taking team-friendly deals along the way. My brother from another mother, Alex Guerrero, and I have an unrivaled commitment to one other. Thank you for being who you are: a selfless and loyal goat.
And, just so everyone knows about AG, this money-maker right here (pointing to his shoulder) would have lost its touch a long time ago.
To [Robert Kraft] and the entire Kraft family, Myra, Jonathan, Danny, Josh, David and Dana. In the year 2000, I was drafted as an immature 23-year-old kid. And 20 years later, I left New England as a much older, 42-year-old immature kid. But in that time, I was taken in by a family who loved me as a son and embraced my family as one of their own.
RKK, look around. You fostered a culture of excellence and integrity that has impacted an entire region. I love you.
To Coach Belichick: Thank you for your tireless commitment to develop and push me to my best. It wasn’t me. It wasn’t you. It was us. Our hard work, our love of the game and the way we worked for one another — that’s what it was all about. Let me make something crystal clear: There is no coach in the world I would rather play for than Bill Belichick.
To the countless coaches — every single one of you, the assistants sitting here tonight, that are not here tonight, the personnel executives and scouts, including Scott Pioli, Charlie, Josh, and Billy, to name a few. We spent hours in the hallways of this stadium, so many early-morning meetings and late-night conversations. I know I’ll go down as your least-demanding, most even-keeled player you ever coached. I hope you enjoy the time while it lasted.
To the people of the New England Patriots organization working behind the scenes to make everything perfect so we could just go out and play. The support staff, the health and medical teams, the business operations, the video department, the IT, the nutrition, the strength and conditioning, the scouting, the football ops, the equipment staff, media and community relations, the kitchen staff, the people who cleaned our locker rooms — the list is endless. And every single one of your jobs was as important as ours was on the field.
To my teammates — 20 years worth. I wish I could mention you all by name. But I’d be here all night. Please know the incredible impact you had on me by pushing me and us to play like champions every single day. Every stitch and every thread of this beautiful red jacket is woven together by the experiences and adversities we endured. Every single one of you made my life better.
If you thought you learned a lot from me. The reality was I learned way more from you. We fought together, we bled together. We cried together. We celebrated and won together. And I would go to battle with any one of you guys, because I know what you’re all about. In particular, I want to say something to all the offensive linemen. I made your job hard. And as Dante would always say, ‘Brady, you couldn’t run out of sight in two days. Three days.’ You guys were the backbone of this team, your toughness and your tireless effort to protect me allowed me to perform at my best. Thank you.
And to all of the quarterbacks I played with? We grinded together. We challenged each other. We competed. And most of the time I kicked your ass. But I could point to every single one of you and tell you something I learned from watching you. I love you guys more than you ever know.
Also, Julian [Edelman] paid me $10,000 to mention him by name, so there you go, Jules.
And to the fans. Am I proud of our championships? Yes. Am I proud of our winning and records over the years? Yes. But what I am proudest of are the people whose lives we impacted here and across the country. They might have cheered for us or against us. Some may not have liked us, but they certainly ended up respecting us.
Sometimes, when I asked myself — why me? The answer is that I’m the messenger here to tell the world just how amazing Patriots fans really are. Thank you. Thank you for 20 years of passion, loyalty and fire. 20 years — 17 division titles, six Super Bowls. How did we do it? What can we learn and how can we apply those things going forward? The foundation of a successful team, a family or business is asking what you can do to support the mission.
The Patriots embody that. Everyone was committed to winning. Everyone was selfless. Everyone was always asking, what can I do to help the team win? As the great John Wooden said, ‘Happiness begins where selfishness ends.’
I get asked a lot if my kids play football. My response is that I’ll support them in any of their dreams. Whatever makes them happy makes me happy.
I would encourage everyone to play football for the simple reason that it is hard. It’s hard when you’re young and to wake up in the offseason to go train and work out, knowing that all your friends are sleeping in and eating pancakes. It’s hard when you’re on your way to practice, weighed down with all your gear and it’s 90 degrees out and all of the other kids are at the pool or at the beach and your body is already completely exhausted from workouts and two-a-days.
It’s hard to throw, block, catch and tackle and hit kids when they’re way bigger and way more developed than you, only to go home that night bruised and battered, but knowing that you have to show up the next day for just the chance to try again.
But understand this — life is hard. No matter who you are, there are bumps and bruises and hits along the way. And my advice is to prepare yourself. Because football lessons teach us that success and achievement come from overcoming adversity and that team accomplishment far exceeds anyone’s individual goals.
To be successful at anything. The truth is — you don’t have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren’t. Consistent, determined and willing to work for it. No shortcuts. If you look at all my teammates here tonight, 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. 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. I am Tom Brady, and I am a Patriot.
