Last year Super Bowl 51 brought out a rare show of emotions for Tom Brady. On Opening Night, he made headlines for reasons that had nothing to do with football. When a young reporter asked him who he considered his hero, we saw a side that we usually don’t have an opportunity to see…a choked up Tom Brady.
Tom Brady becomes emotional after a 7-year-old kid reporter asks…
“Who’s your hero?” #SBOpeningNight #SB51 https://t.co/TZBMPXDUeq
— NFL (@NFL) January 31, 2017
In reflecting on the moment that nearly brought him to tears, he said “You just have different things that your family goes through throughout the course of your life. It has been a challenging year for my family for some personal reasons. It will be nice to have everyone here watching us this weekend. My mom and dad, they have been so supportive my entire life and it is nice to be here to show them and try to make them proud.”
Brady confirmed that his mother had been ill with an undisclosed health issue.
“I think there are different emotions every season. This year my mom hasn’t been to a game this season and my dad has been to one. It is very atypical. They are going to be here this weekend, which I am excited about, so it will be nice to see everybody. I have a big group coming.”
This has been a challenging year for Brady on-and-off the field, but it hasn’t stopped him from keeping a positive attitude through the adversity.
“I think there are a lot of things to be positive about and you keep a lot of things in perspective. I’ve always tried to do that. At different parts of your life you learn different things. I’ve learned a lot of things over the course of my life. I think trying to be positive with the people around me have always served me really well.”
Although Brady has been more candid with his emotions, this softer side isn’t new to his teammates.
“He is a passionate guy. He is a huge family guy. And he is definitely very positive,” according to his go-to receiver Julian Edelman.
Besides family, Brady’s realization that he will be making his then seventh Super Bowl appearance and going for his fifth ring gave him another reason to smile.
“It hit me at the pep rally. When I saw those fans out there, you realize this is different and this just is special. It’s a special experience. Getting on the plane was great, and landing, seeing all the cameras and then getting to the hotel. I think everyone is excited to be here, get in a little bit of a routine and then focus on playing some football.”
Tom Brady Gives Super Bowl Pump Up Speech … At Massive Pep Rally (Video) https://t.co/OggG5htrlR
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) January 30, 2017
“Every year, every team starts with the same goal. Every team wants to win the Super Bowl. Every team has hope. Every team made offseason changes. The fans believe in it, and there’s a lot of promise and hope. At the end of the day, there’s only one team that wins it. We have to go out; we have to play our best game. It’s a tough game, it’s a lot of buildup. Hopefully, it’s our best game.
Some of his biggest fans will be in the crowd cheering him on as he strives for another Super Bowl ring. “My family will be in full force. They are all excited and gearing up and ready to go. I’m excited to see everybody.”
If the Patriots pull off the victory against the Eagles on Sunday, you can guarantee this won’t be the last time we see Brady show some emotion. From family to the opportunity to make history, this game means a lot to him.
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