NFL great Tom Brady said he felt “deeply grateful” but “kind of old” after the New England Patriots unveiled a 12ft statue of him.
The legendary quarterback was honoured with the towering bronze sculpture outside the Patriots’ stadium in Massachusetts.
Brady guided the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, before going on 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 number of championships he won with the Patriots.
With the base included, the entire construction is 17ft high – to reference the 17 AFC East division titles that Brady won as a starting quarterback.
“This is quite overwhelming to me,” the 48-year-old said. “I feel extremely honoured, deeply grateful and, if I’m being honest, kind of old.
“I never dreamed I’d be standing here two and a half decades later made of bronze and frozen in time.”
Over 23 seasons, three with Tampa Bay, Brady started 333 regular season matches and 48 playoff games, more than any other NFL quarterback in history.
He began his NFL career as the 199th pick of the 2000 draft and initially retired in 2022, before reversing his decision and playing a further season for the Buccaneers.
“Tom Brady’s journey proves that it’s not where you start, but where you finish that counts,” said Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
“Tom wasn’t just the face of our franchise, he was the heartbeat. It’s hard to overstate what Tom accomplished. He didn’t just rewrite the record books, he practically authored a new volume.”
The statue, which stands in the plaza outside the Patriots Hall of Fame, was revealed before their opening pre-season game, a 48-18 win over the Washington Commanders.
Since retiring, Brady has acquired a 5% stake in the Las Vegas Raiders and become a minority owner of English football club Birmingham City.
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