As of the morning of March 17th, 2020, Tom Brady, the beloved quarterback of the New England Patriots announced that he will not be signing with New England for the upcoming season. Playing with the Patriots for nearly 20 seasons, Brady was awarded the record winner for most Superbowl wins by a single player. As Patriot fan’s hearts are breaking, Brady leaves us with his last remark of “I don’t know what my football future holds, but it is time for me to open a new stage for my life and my career”. Being a Patriots fan myself (while having to be undercover while in Steeler country), I am not looking forward to the upcoming season as it is uncertain how the team will bounce back after losing several valuable players over the past few years.
Now is as good a time as any to reflect on the non-sport related accomplishments Brady has given to his community through his years living in Brookline, Massachusetts. Most football fans know, even if you are not a pats fan, that Brady’s number is 12. With that, he created his own non-profit organization called the TB12 Foundation. The mission of his foundation is to provide young athletes with recovery from injuries and provide wellness resources for preparation, performance and health innovation. Something that is special about this foundation is that it targets those at risk athletes who can not afford high-quality rehabilitation from injury or correct training. With Brady’s efforts to help young athletes like he once was, thousands of athletes have been able to bounce back from their injuries and overall improve their performance. Without the TB12 Foundation, those who could not afford high-quality training would never have gotten their break to be a star athlete.
Not only did Brady involve himself with young athletes, but he was also an honorary co-chair of Best Buddies, a program for people with developmental or intellectual disabilities. Brady started getting involved with this program in 2003, and has helped the organization raise over $20 million. Annually, Brady would host a Tom Brady Football Challenge for all participants, bringing the Patriots and this organization together. Being able to hang out with a famous athlete and his team was something that brightened the spirits of all those in the Best Buddies programs.
In the past year, Brady has stepped down as a co-chair to a global ambassador. Who knows if this was due to his decision to become a free agent, and we may never know. Even with stepping down, Brady has proven his advocacy and commitment to the best buddies programs and has helped shaped the lives of those with disabilities.
Although his departure from New England is heartbreaking, I can honestly thank Brady for his contributions to Boston and the Patriots on and off the field. As Brady always says, he will always be a patriot.
Great post! Your topic is interesting and relevant. I also enjoyed your take on the subject. As a fellow New Englander, it is sad to see him leave. Although, I think it is important to recognize he is more than an athlete. He gives back to the community, which a lot of people overlook because of the blinding lights sports can have.
As one of those Steelers fans that you mentioned in your blog post I was never a big fan of Brady. He absolutely owned us his entire career in New England. All that being said it is impossible for me to fault him as a human. With all the horrible people you hear talked about on the news every day it is always nice to see someone who is at the top of their game while also having a positive influence on their community.