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‘I am a Patriot’: Highlights from Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame ceremony in New England

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame on Wednesday night in a sold-out ceremony inside Gillette Stadium, with owner Robert Kraft announcing that Brady’s jersey number 12 will never be worn again in New England. A 12-foot-tall statue of Brady also will be unveiled during the 2024 season, according to Kraft.

Brady concluded the night with a speech that mixed emotion, humor and inspiration. His eyes welled up at times as he concluded by saying: “I am eternally grateful. I am Tom Brady. And I am a Patriot.” There were many highlights along the way.

Here are some of the best moments from Brady’s Hall of Fame induction.

Bill Belichick returns to Gillette Stadium

After former receivers Deion Branch and Troy Brown introduced Bill Belichick to the stage, the crowd lit up and wouldn’t stop cheering, delaying the start of Brady’s remarks. It was Belichick’s first time back at Gillette Stadium since he and the organization parted ways in January after 24 seasons.

“Such a warm welcome,” Belichick said. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me to come back here and see the great Patriot fans.”

A special moment for Randy Moss

Although it was Brady’s night, the fans gave former Patriots receiver Randy Moss a moment he’ll never forget. Moss took the stage with Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Wes Welker. When Moss reminisced about joining the team in 2007 and mentioned that fans might have not known what to expect, the crowd gave him a rousing cheer that turned into a standing ovation.

The magical moment brought Moss to tears.

Bledsoe’s got jokes

As part of a panel that took fans inside the quarterback meeting room — which included Drew Bledsoe, Matt Cassel, Brian Hoyer and longtime coordinator Josh McDaniels — Bledsoe delivered one of the quips of the night. Reflecting on 2001, Bledsoe said Brady was the worst backup quarterback in the history of the NFL.

A surprise showing from The Sheriff

Congratulatory messages from former rivals such as Eli Manning, Patrick Mahomes, Ed Reed and Jason Taylor played on the videoboard before emcee Mike Tirico told Brady there was one player who said he only wanted to make his remarks in person — Peyton Manning. It was a big surprise to Brady, who said: “I love this guy. An incredible friend of mine.”

Jay-Z and John Cena highlight introductions

When Brady was introduced at home games during his career, he took the field to the song “Public Service Announcement” by Jay-Z. The Patriots had Jay-Z perform the song live for the ceremony as Brady was introduced, and John Cena narrated a hype video.

Jerod Mayo’s tooth tribulations

Before the official ceremony began, former Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty interviewed first-year head coach Jerod Mayo on the stage, with Mayo sharing a story of how Brady’s intensity once led to him splitting his tooth.

‘Brady Day’ is declared

The date of the ceremony had significance — 6/12 — reflecting the number of Super Bowls that Brady won as a Patriot and his jersey number. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey officially declared it Tom Brady Day for 2024.


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