NFL nice Tom Brady stated he felt “deeply grateful” however “sort of outdated” after the New England Patriots unveiled a 12ft statue of him.
The legendary quarterback was honoured with the towering bronze sculpture exterior the Patriots’ stadium in Massachusetts.
Brady guided the Patriots to 6 Tremendous Bowl titles, earlier than happening to win a seventh with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
The ceremony revealed the statue of Brady with one arm aloft in triumph – and it was mounted on a six-sided base in a nod to the variety of championships he received with the Patriots.
With the bottom included, all the development is 17ft excessive – to reference the 17 AFC East division titles that Brady received as a beginning quarterback.
“That is fairly overwhelming to me,” the 48-year-old stated. “I really feel extraordinarily honoured, deeply grateful and, if I am being trustworthy, sort of outdated.
“I by no means dreamed I might be standing right here two and a half a long time later made from bronze and frozen in time.”
Over 23 seasons, three with Tampa Bay, Brady began 333 common season matches and 48 playoff video games, greater than every other NFL quarterback in historical past.
He initially retired in 2022, earlier than reversing his determination and happening to play an extra season for the Buccaneers.
“Tom Brady’s journey proves that it is not the place you begin, however the place you end that counts,” Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft stated.
“Tom wasn’t simply the face of our franchise, he was the heartbeat. It is arduous to overstate what Tom achieved. He did not simply rewrite the document books, he virtually authored a brand new quantity.”
The statue, which stands within the plaza exterior the Patriots Corridor of Fame, was revealed earlier than their pre-season recreation in opposition to the Washington Commanders.
