Tom Brady At Patriots Sendoff Rally: 'Put All That Crap In A Drawer'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Forget all the distractions that surround Super Bowl week.
And forget all those distractions that have led to New England's Super Bowl LI tilt with the Atlanta Falcons, too.
Quarterback Tom Brady wants you to put "all that crap" in a drawer.
The Patriots are off to Houston, the home of Super Bowl LI, following a Monday morning rally outside of Gillette Stadium. Thousands of fans gathered outside the Hall at Patriot Place to send off their favorite team, in hopes of another rally in Boston sometime next week.
Now that they're heading to Houston, that Super Bowl feeling has officially arrived.
"Damn, now it's starting to feel like the Super Bowl!" Brady told the crowd when he took the stadium.
The QB also had some other advice for the New England faithful.
"It's been a great season and we've accomplished a lot, but we still have one more to go. It's going to be tough, the toughest one we've had all year. But were excited about the opportunity and we couldn't do it without all you guys," he said. "As coach tells us, put all that crap you've got to deal with in a drawer. Put it all away for one more week. We need you guys at your best, because we need to be at our best.
"Get your rest this week. Rest up, hydrate, and get ready for Sunday because it's going to be a hell of a gem. Hopefully we see you back at Foxboro with a win," he said, before one more rally cry. "Go Pats! Let's go!"
98.5 The Sports Hub's Scott Zolak and Bob Socci, who will have the call of Super Bowl LI on Sunday, emceed the sendoff. Chants of "One More" erupted from the crowd as the Patriots took the stage, as former Patriots Ty Law and Jermaine Wiggins fired up the fans.
Owner Robert Kraft called both Brady and head coach Bill Belichick the GOATs (greatest of all-time, just in case you didn't know) of their position. Belichick thanked the fans in attendance for their support, asking them to bring their exuberance to Houston.
"This team has worked extremely hard and were excited. This is the best team we've played and we'll have to be at our best. That's what we'll strive to do," said Belichick. "Thank you for coming out today to support us. Thank you."
"I can't tell you how much it means to all of us to have your support. We really believe we have the best fans in all of sports," said special teams captain Matthew Slater. "We're taking a team down to Houston you can all be proud of. Not just the 16 wins we've acquired thus far, but the men on this group. We're a tight-knit group. We love playing for each other and representing this city and region."
The Patriots are now making their way to Logan Airport, and are expected to arrive in Houston around 3pm. Their media night session is scheduled for Monday night at 10pm at Minute Maid Park.
New England will take on the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI -- the ninth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history -- Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Tune in to Super Bowl LI on 98.5 The Sports Hub -- the flagship station of the New England Patriots. Pregame coverage begins at 1pm with a special edition of Felger & Massarotti from NRG Stadium!
