Editor’s note: This event is still going on and can be streamed at Patriots.com. This story will be updated.
In front of a packed and sold-out Gillette Stadium, the Patriots pulled out all the stops to celebrate the most decorated player in NFL history.
More than 200 former teammates and dozens of former coaches, including Bill Belichick, came back for an event Wednesday night to induct Tom Brady into the franchise’s Hall of Fame. He became the first player to have the typical four-year waiting period waived.
The event included plenty of A-listers and celebrities who were billed as surprise guests to honor the seven-time Super Bowl winner who won six of those titles with New England. Jay-Z began the show by playing “Public Service Announcement,” the song Brady came out to every home game.
On a night of surprises, the most meaningful reveal came when the team announced that Brady’s famous No. 12 jersey would be retired by the franchise. His number is the eighth that the franchise has retired and the first since offensive tackle Bruce Armstrong in 2001.
Thank you, @TomBrady. pic.twitter.com/xy3k2SCdHZ
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 13, 2024
Who was there?
Mike Tirico, the voice of “NBC Sunday Night Football,” was the host for the event. Comedian Bill Burr kicked off the festivities with an opening set. And several roundtables were expected, including a chance for Belichick, who made his first return to Gillette Stadium since his split from the team, to take the mic and speak about Brady.
Randy Moss, Julian Edelman, Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo, Rob Gronkowski, Matthew Slater, and Wes Welker were among Brady’s former teammates to attend the event.
Cool moment at the Tom Brady event. Randy Moss got emotional as Gillette Stadium gave Moss one of the biggest ovations of the night. pic.twitter.com/aBBHtZx9Bk
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) June 13, 2024
Required reading
(Photo: China Wong / Getty Images)
