Former Clemson tight end Brandon Ford will never forget his first meeting with Tom Brady.
Speaking with Aaron Cheslock of FOX Carolina, Ford recounted his initial interaction with the NFL legend who announced his retirement this week after a remarkable 22-year career that saw him win seven Super Bowl titles.
Ford was “blown away” by Brady when he met him after signing with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2013.
“The first time I met him was in the locker room,” Ford said. “We had just had the 2013 draft, and the signees of all the free agent guys and other guys were coming in on trade deals or whatever.
“I walked into the locker room, and I’ll never forget this guy walking up to me. I turned around and I was like, ‘Hey, what’s up, man.’ And he was like, ‘Brandon Ford, right?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ And he was like, ‘Hanahan, South Carolina, went to Clemson?’ I was like whoa, blown away, like how does this guy know – I’m an undrafted rookie, like, how does he even know who I am?”
Ford was shocked that Brady – who had already established himself as an all-time great by 2013, winning three Super Bowls and two NFL MVP awards by then – knew that much about him.
“I was just blown away and amazed because most guys, you’ve got to introduce yourself, kind of let them know where you’re from,” Ford said. “If you’re not like the star-star and you’re all over TV, they kind of don’t know who you are. They might know Clemson, but this guy knew every rookie when they came in, where they were from, what school they went to – high school, college – and that’s kind of something they taught, being in New England. But for him, that caliber of a player, I was just like wow, kind of shellshocked at the moment like whoa, I didn’t think he would know all of that.”
Brady certainly left a lasting impression on Ford from the five months they spent together with the Patriots.
“Tom’s a very down-to-earth guy. Very down-to-earth guy,” Ford said. “He was very helpful with rookies coming in, adapting to the system and getting up to speed where the veterans are at. I just think the guy is like one of the best role models for a kid. I know we see what we see on TV, but a lot of people don’t see what he does behind the scenes or off the field. And I had a chance to see it for the five months that I was there, and I mean, incredible, incredible individual.”
Caught up with former #Clemson TE Brandon Ford, who signed with the Patriots in 2013, on his first meeting with Tom Brady. A pretty cool story, especially given Brady was already an all-time great in ‘13. @foxcarolinanews pic.twitter.com/58xTeeD7WF
— Aaron Cheslock (@AaronCheslock) February 2, 2022
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