Tom Brady Patriots Hall of Fame induction: Robert Kraft retires No. 12, previews statue for legendary QB

Tom Brady had already earned his place at the top of the pantheon of New England Patriots history, but Wednesday’s induction into the franchise’s Hall of Fame made it official. The legendary quarterback received his red jacket in a historic ceremony held inside Gillette Stadium packed with fans.

Robert Kraft previously announced that the team, for the first time, would waive the four-year waiting period for the Patriots Hall of Famer to immediately enshrine Brady. The club specifically chose June (the sixth month of the year) to represent its six Super Bowl titles and the 12th to recognize their number, which was also removed to end the ceremony.

Over the course of the two-hour-plus ceremony, the franchise summarized not only his two decades with the franchise, but also harkened back to his upbringing with his family, who were all in attendance. Many former teammates were in Foxborough and some took the stage to recap their time playing alongside Brady and shared various stories.

Before all that, though, the show kicked off with a live performance from legendary rapper Jay-Z, who introduced Brady with his song “Public Service Notice,” which had been adopted by the quarterback when he took the field in Foxborough. Afterwards, WWE star John Cena, a Massachusetts native, narrated Brady’s introduction video.

Comedian Bill Burr and NBC’s Mike Tirico took turns running the show with Burr, naturally, providing the comic relief while Tirico interviewed several of Brady’s teammates who took the stage. Vince Wilfork, Devin McCourty, Ty Law and Willie McGinest were the first Patriots alumni to take the stage and praised Brady’s competitiveness and ability as a leader.

At one point, the Patriots played video of several rivals Brady had during his tenure, including Eli Manning, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Charles Woodson, Michael Strahan, Patrick Mahomes and Jason Taylor. They each congratulated his introduction and Woodson even criticized him about the Tuck Rule, ending his toast with, “And by the way, it was a big mess.”

After the video aired, Brady was surprised by Peyton Manning, who made a personal appearance. The two greats shared stories of their epic clashes, along with a private workout they did together during an off-season. Brady acknowledged that he had admired Manning “since he was the No. 1 recruit in high school.”

Brady’s former teammates continued to take the stage throughout the night. Former quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe, Matt Cassell and Brian Hoyer joined former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on a panel.

“You were the worst backup quarterback in the history of the NFL“, Bledsoe joked. “You never understood that when I got healthy, you were supposed to go sit down.”

Then, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, Randy Moss and Julian Edelman talked about being Brady’s favorite targets. As they were introduced, Moss, who was reflecting on his 2007 arrival, received one of the loudest non-Brady ovations of the night, which brought him to tears.

Every aspect of Brady’s career was referenced throughout the night. Boston sports legends David Ortiz, Paul Pierce, Patrice Bergeron and Taylor Twellman were featured in a tribute video to commemorate their participation in the city’s championship series. Announcers Jim Nantz, Joe Buck, Chris Berman, Al Michaels and Rich Eisen congratulated Brady in another video just before a live rendition of country artist Kenny Chesney’s “The Boys of Fall.”

Just before Brady’s official inauguration, and after most of the dynasty’s key figures appeared, one of the night’s key moments came when Bill Belichick was introduced by Troy Brown and Deion Branch. This was the legendary coach’s first appearance at Gillette Stadium since he and the team parted ways earlier this offseason. As you might expect, Belichick was greeted with long, thunderous applause.

“Thank you so much. A warm welcome. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to come back here and see the Patriot Nation of fans,” Belichick said.

Of Brady, he said it was a “tremendous honor and privilege to recruit and coach Tom for 20 years” and also noted that his one-on-one meetings with Brady during their time together were “some of the best days I’ve had as a coach in my career .”

Finally, it was time for Brady to officially receive his red jacket, which was presented to him by Robert Kraft. Shortly before that, however, Kraft announced that Brady’s number 12 would be retired by the franchise and that the team had commissioned a 12-foot statue that will be unveiled next season.

“Tonight, I promise that [No. 12] will never be used again,” Kraft said.

Wearing his newest red jacket, Brady addressed the crowd, saying, “It’s good to be home.” He also thanked everyone who impacted his career, from his family, friends, teammates, coaches and Robert Kraft.

Brady concluded his speech with, “I am Tom Brady and I am a Patriot.”

Once again, Brady was already marked in the history of the Patriots, now he will be officially forged with the franchise forever.