The New England Patriots revealed their long-awaited Tom Brady statue on Friday and fans can breathe easy. It’s not a Cristiano Ronaldo or Dwyane Wade-esque disaster.
The larger-than-life statue, sculpted by artist and Patriots fan Jeff Buccacio, features the legendary quarterback in a simple pose, with his fist in the air and his helmet by his side.
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As Patriots owner Robert Kraft said before the unveiling, the statue itself is 12 feet tall, in honor of Brady’s uniform number, and 17 feet tall when including its base, in honor of his 17 AFC East division titles.
Here’s the moment all was revealed:
A closer look at the detailed face:
After the statue was revealed, Brady addressed the crowd and thanked seemingly everyone possible. He emphasized how big an honor it was to become the first player in franchise history to receive a statue, especially given the sixth-round beginnings of his career.
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He also couldn’t resist cracking a joke about his 5.17-second 40-yard dash time:
“Seeing myself as a statue isn’t something I could have imagined growing up. When I was drafted, I just hoped to make the team. I never dreamed I would be standing here two and a half decades later made of bronze and frozen in time. It actually feels pretty appropriate given my 40-yard dash time.”
Of course, the whole spectacle couldn’t avoid a little awkwardness. Kraft noted the six-sided base of the statue paid tribute to Brady’s six Super Bowl titles in New England, one of the “iconic numbers associated with Tom Brady’s Patriots career.” It conveniently leaves out the seventh title Brady won with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after his exit from New England, though that’s hardly a surprise.
Kraft was effusive about Brady’s impact on the Patriots franchise, saying he “helped transform the Patriots into a 20-year dynasty.” Things got really personal when he addressed Brady:
“After my family, there’s no human being on the planet I love and respect as much as you.”
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The base of the statue was reportedly quartered in Vermont, with Kraft saying the work included 20,000 hours from Buccacio and his team.
At 48 years old, Brady is receiving a statue early in his retirement, and he used that as an opportunity to rib former teammates Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi. There was also the obligatory joke about Jets fans:
“Right now, I feel extremely honored, deeply grateful and if I’m being honest, kind of old. I’m also a little surprised, because usually they don’t build statues until you’re really old, like Vrabel and Bruschi.
“In the end, this statue isn’t just for Pats fans. It’ll also give all the Jets fans something to throw their beers at as they leave the stadium every year. Probably in the second quarter. Maybe the third.”
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Now we wait and see who the next person to get a Patriots statue is. Rob Gronkowski? Bill Belichick? Kraft?
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