NFL nice Tom Brady mentioned he felt “deeply grateful” however “sort of previous” after the New England Patriots unveiled a 12ft statue of him.

The legendary quarterback was honoured with the towering bronze sculpture exterior the Patriots’ stadium in Massachusetts.

Brady guided the Patriots to 6 Tremendous Bowl titles, earlier than occurring to win a seventh with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.

The ceremony revealed the statue of Brady with one arm aloft in triumph – and it was mounted on a six-sided base in a nod to the variety of championships he gained with the Patriots.

With the bottom included, all the development is 17ft excessive – to reference the 17 AFC East division titles that Brady gained as a beginning quarterback.

“That is fairly overwhelming to me,” the 48-year-old mentioned. “I really feel extraordinarily honoured, deeply grateful and, if I am being trustworthy, sort of previous.

“I by no means dreamed I would be standing right here two and a half many years later fabricated from bronze and frozen in time.”

Over 23 seasons, three with Tampa Bay, Brady began 333 common season matches and 48 playoff video games, greater than every other NFL quarterback in historical past.

He started his NFL profession because the 199th decide of the 2000 draft and initially retired in 2022, earlier than reversing his resolution and enjoying an extra season for the Buccaneers.

“Tom Brady’s journey proves that it is not the place you begin, however the place you end that counts,” mentioned Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft.

“Tom wasn’t simply the face of our franchise, he was the heartbeat. It is onerous to overstate what Tom completed. He did not simply rewrite the file books, he virtually authored a brand new quantity.”

The statue, which stands within the plaza exterior the Patriots Corridor of Fame, was revealed earlier than their opening pre-season recreation, a 48-18 win over the Washington Commanders.

Since retiring, Brady has acquired a 5% stake within the Las Vegas Raiders and turn out to be a minority proprietor of English soccer membership Birmingham Metropolis.