Tom Brady Immortalized: The Patriots Unveil a Statue in His Honor
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots paid tribute to their legend, Tom Brady, by unveiling a 12-foot bronze statue in front of Gillette Stadium. This event marks the fulfillment of owner Robert Kraft’s promise, made last year during Brady’s induction into the team’s Hall of Fame.
The choice of the statue’s size was no coincidence, as Brady wore the number 12 on his jersey during his 20-year career with the Patriots, a period in which he led the team to six Super Bowl championships.
“This is pretty overwhelming for me,” Brady said, showing his characteristic sense of humor during his six-minute speech.
Brady added, with a smile: “I feel extremely honored, deeply grateful and, if I’m honest, a little old. I’m also a little surprised, because they don’t usually build statues until you’re really old, like [Mike] Vrabel and [Tedy] Bruschi.”
Vrabel, who was Brady’s teammate between 2001 and 2008 and is currently the Patriots’ head coach, was present at the ceremony.Brady recalled how he hoped to earn a spot on the team after being selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 draft, and then commented: “I never dreamed I’d be here two and a half decades later, made of bronze and frozen in time. Actually, it feels quite appropriate given my 40-yard dash speed.”
The quarterback also joked, saying, “This is the first time in my life that Boston sports reporters will describe me as chiseled. So that’s a big, big win.”
The statue unveiling ceremony, which took place 90 minutes before the Patriots’ preseason game against the Washington Commanders, featured a crowd chanting “Brady! Brady! Brady!” on multiple occasions during the 20-minute event.
Kraft detailed some of the unique features of the statue, which, he said, “I wanted it to be larger than life, just like Tommy.” It was created by a local sculptor, a big Patriots fan, and its granite base was quarried in Vermont.
In addition, the shape of the statue represents the six Super Bowl championships, and it measures 17 feet in height in total, including the base, which symbolizes the AFC East titles won during Brady’s tenure.
Kraft concluded: “May this statue forever remind us of what Tom Brady did and how he made us all feel.”
