Tom Brady quietly volunteered with his children at a Tampa Bay animal shelter last season: "A great Dad and a true animal lover"
As tributes for Tom Brady continue to pour in following his retirement from the NFL, a former teammate's wife revealed what the quarterback did in his spare time with his children last season: volunteer at an animal shelter in Tampa Bay.
Ashley Bragg Ryan, the wife of Buccaneers safety Logan Ryan, shared a heartfelt post on Tuesday about Brady volunteering with his kids at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. Brady played with the Buccaneers the last three seasons.
"I guess I'll chime in with my Tom Brady story.. but it's not the one about 7 Super Bowls or being down 28-3 or his last pass as a Patriot," she wrote on Instagram. "We all know those. It's the one about the dad who volunteered at the animal shelter with his kids throughout an entire football season. The one where he bonded with his kids over naming puppies and bottle feeding kittens. The one where he silently showed up every other week to make a difference for his family and his community."
Ryan wrote that the time Brady spent at the shelter wasn't about "publicity, fundraising or recognition," but it was about being a "human being."
"It was about Tom taking the very thing his little girl loves the most and turning it into an opportunity to spend time together," she wrote. "It was about Tom reaching out to his friend, asking how to get involved, helping his community by giving something far more meaningful than money.. his time."
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay told CBS News in a statement that the organization is "very thankful" Brady and his children volunteered there for months.
"From socializing our kittens to walking dogs, it is obvious that he is a great Dad and a true animal lover," the organization said.
Brady has three children — Jack, 15, Benjamin, 13 and Vivian, 10, according to People.
On Tuesday, Brady called it quits after 23 seasons in the NFL and seven Super Bowl rings.