Patriots
“I truly wish I had more time. I wish I had more time to give you all.”
FOXBOROUGH — More than nine months after Robert Kraft announced that the Patriots were waiving the four-year grace period to induct Tom Brady into the team’s Hall of Fame, over 60,000 fans packed into Gillette Stadium for the legendary quarterback’s anticipated return.
Wednesday was a night for the ages in Boston sports, with Brady’s ceremony featuring several memorable speeches, musical performances, and touching tributes over nearly three hours.
Here are 15 takeaways from Brady’s big night.
1. A stacked guest list
Brady might have been the focus on Wednesday, but the festivities celebrated within a rocking Gillette Stadium stood as more of a sweeping tribute for the 20-year Patriots dynasty — with hundreds of Brady’s former teammates making appearances during the red carpet event before the induction.
Some of the noteworthy names included: Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Randy Moss, Drew Bledsoe, Willie McGinest, Devin McCourty, Vince Wilfork, Ty Law, James White, Wes Welker, Danny Amendola, Kevin Faulk, Matthew Slater, Dan Koppen, Logan Mankins, Matt Cassel, Brian Hoyer, Rob Ninkovich, Malcolm Butler, David Andrews, Patrick Chung, Matt Light, Matthew Slater, Troy Brown, Malcolm Mitchell, and countless others.
Former staffers Dante Scarnecchia, Josh McDaniels, Ivan Fears, Bill O’Brien, Matt Patricia, and Nick Caserio also took part in the event, while Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and several current players, like Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett, were also spotted.
Brady made his appearance on the red carpet roughly an hour before the start of the event, embracing Robert Kraft and taking a photo with him.
“He introduced himself to me, and I said ‘I know who you…