Tom Brady’s 20 seasons with the New England Patriots were spent alongside Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft.
These three were the foundational pieces in maintaining one of the greatest sports dynasties in history. The Patriots appeared in nine Super Bowls and won six of them during that time span. This incredible run has dubbed Brady and Belichick as arguably the greatest ever in the their respective positions.
The trio ended when Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, and he spoke about his final meeting with Kraft and Belichick during an interview with Howard Stern.
“I called up Mr. Kraft, and I went over to his house, and I just said — and it was a funny time because we’re all dealing with this current corona situation that we’re in,” Brady said, transcribed by NESN. “I went over, and I just said, ‘Look, I just want to say how much I love you and appreciate what we’ve done together. I know that we’re not going to continue together, but thank you. Thank you for providing what you have for my family and for my career.’
“I was able to call Coach (Bill) Belichick at the same time and thank him. It was great, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Brady called Belichick so that he could relay the information to both of them at the same time.
“I couldn’t because I wanted to tell Mr. Kraft, and then I had no opportunity to drive — it was 9:30 at night on a Monday night of March,” Brady said. “There was no opportunity for me. But I wanted to tell him right away in the moment. Too many times in this world, I would say something, someone else would say it before you know it he would hear it from someone else. I wanted him to hear it from me how I felt about him.”
Stern asked if there was tears shed and Brady openly answered.
“I was crying,” Brady said. “I’m a very emotional person.”
Brady will be 43-years-old by the start of the 2020 season and he’ll be off on a new chapter, continuing to play with a chip on his shoulder.
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