The two-decade long dynasty Brady led in New England featured six Super Bowl championships, 17 division titles and 219 regular-season wins. Donning his legendary No. 12 Patriots jersey, the former sixth-round pick ran out onto the field before addressing the crowd, bellowing to the New England crowd once crossing the end zone as he did for 20 glorious seasons.
“We had a culture of teammates and cared about two things,” Brady said. “They cared about each other and they cared about winning. And if you didn’t care about those two things, you did not last here very long. And we were very happy to play against you. So I think we proved to America what teamwork’s all about. We prove that believing in each other, believing in playing for this community, and believing in playing for a common mission, we were able to pull down six of those banners and celebrate them in this stadium.”
It was the first time Brady made an appearance in New England since announcing his retirement in February. Brady concluded a 23-season long career following his third campaign in Tampa Bay, where he added a seventh Super Bowl ring and became the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns.
Brady concluded his speech with a perfect summation of his legendary career and a proclamation that earned a big roar from the crowd.
“All our lives take us on different journeys,” Brady said. “They take us to different places, they bring different people into our lives, but one thing that I am sure of — and that will never change — is that I am a Patriot for life.”