Bill Belichick Praises Tom Brady: 'A Special Person And The Greatest Quarterback Of All Time'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Twenty years ago, Bill Belichick led his first draft as boss of the Patriots. He took a flier with the 199th overall pick on a lanky kid from Michigan named Tom Brady.
The pick worked out pretty well.
Alas, on Tuesday morning, Brady announced that his 20-year Patriots career was coming to an end.
Considering Belichick remains the boss in Foxboro, it was clear that Belichick never made a contract offer for Brady that made sense for the quarterback. As such, the quarterback has moved on.
Still, the lack of a suitable offer does not indicate a lack of respect. That much was very clear in the official statement released by Belichick on Tuesday.
Here's the full text of Belichick's statement:
"Tom was not just a player who bought into our program. He was one of its original creators. Tom lived and perpetuated our culture. On a daily basis, he was a tone setter and a bar raiser. He won championships in three of his first four years on the field and in three of his final six seasons with us, while competing for championships in most every season in between. This is a credit to Tom's consistency and what separates him. He didn't just perform. He didn't just win. He won championships over and over again."
"Tom and I will always have a great relationship built on love, admiration, respect and appreciation. Tom's success as a player and his character as a person are exceptional. Nothing about the end of Tom's Patriots career changes how unfathomably spectacular it was. With his relentless competitiveness and longevity, he earned everyone's adoration and will be celebrated forever. It has been a privilege to coach Tom Brady for 20 years."
"Examples of Tom's greatness are limitless, going back even before he was drafted. We witnessed how he prepared when he wasn't playing, how he performed when he got his opportunity, what he did to continuously improve, his leadership, his mindset, the example he set, and of course, the person he is. I am extremely grateful for what he did for our team and for me personally."
"Sometimes in life, it takes some time to pass before truly appreciating something or someone but that has not been the case with Tom. He is a special person and the greatest quarterback of all-time."
Brady said that his "football journey will take place elsewhere." Belichick's will continue in Foxboro. The two legends operating independently will be strange, but it's clear that the greatest coach of all time certainly appreciates having had 20 years with the greatest quarterback of all time.
