In a heartwarming tribute, the New England Patriots celebrated their iconic quarterback, Tom Brady, during their season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. The ceremony, brimming with cherished memories, paid homage to Brady’s remarkable career, which included leading the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships.
Brady’s journey to greatness extended beyond his time with the Patriots. In a noteworthy twist, his seventh Super Bowl victory came with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he shared the field with tight end Kyle Rudolph, the recipient of Brady’s final regular-season touchdown pass.
Reflecting on his experience alongside the legendary quarterback, Rudolph recently shared his admiration for Brady with NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk. While Rudolph expressed personal disappointment with his last NFL season, he emphasized the invaluable lessons he learned from Brady during their shared time in the Sunshine State.
“I went to the Bucs to try to win a championship with the best QB ever, who wanted me in Tampa,” Rudolph revealed. However, the season didn’t unfold as Rudolph had hoped, with limited playing time. Despite this, his admiration for Brady remained unwavering.
Rudolph marveled at Brady’s character, both on and off the field. He noted Brady’s unwavering respect for everyone, from team owners to janitors. “The way he treated people… The way he treated the Glazer family [Bucs owners] is exactly the way he treated the janitor at 6:30 at night when he and maybe one or two other guys were the last players in the building,” Rudolph recalled.
Rudolph also highlighted Brady’s camaraderie with teammates, recounting a touching gesture. “Tom had an empty locker next to him. I would look over there and every day, guys would put helmets, jerseys, pictures, footballs, all the stuff they wanted Tom to sign for them. There’d be notes on the stuff, a post-it note on a football—’Sign this for Jimmy, it’s his birthday.’ At the end of the day, almost every day, he’d sit there and sign everything.”
Moreover, Rudolph praised Brady’s leadership, emphasizing the quarterback’s ability to uplift and motivate those around him. “For me, he was such a great teammate,” Rudolph said. “He made me a better football player, not because of the games, but because of the practices Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.”
Brady’s positivity and unwavering dedication to the sport left a lasting impression on Rudolph. Despite facing personal challenges off the field, Brady remained a beacon of positivity within the team. “The most amazing thing to me was, with all the negativity swirling around his life outside of football, he never carried it into the building. Always positive,” Rudolph noted.
In conclusion, Rudolph summed up his admiration for Brady, saying, “I didn’t think it’d be possible when I walked into the team to be more impressed with Tom. But I was.” Tom Brady’s legacy as a football legend and a role model continues to inspire those fortunate enough to share the field with him.
