When Tom Brady left the Patriots to join the Bucs, there were some tensions with the New England organization he helped transform into the NFL’s gold standard. However, there was never a doubt that eventually he would come back to Foxborough and be honored as the best player in franchise history.
Wednesday night was that night, as Patriots fans flocked to Gillette Stadium to see Brady inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Typically, a team Hall of Fame ceremony just involves a halftime or postgame ceremony during the season, but someone of Brady’s stature commands something a bit more. That’s not just getting his own night during the offseason, but bringing out some big stars to help mark the occasion. That started with Massachusetts native John Cena narrating a video that kicked off the ceremony.
.@JohnCena kicks off @TomBrady’s Hall of Fame Ceremony! pic.twitter.com/0Mjzq6xLkM
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 12, 2024
It continued with the most surprising appearance of the night, as none other than Jay-Z performed “Public Service Announcement” to introduce the GOAT to the stage.
Jay-Z opening for Tom Brady during his Patriots Hall of Fame Induction pic.twitter.com/U5W8cTg5vO
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) June 12, 2024
I have to say, Jay-Z sounds great here and despite it being a brief appearance to do one song before a team Hall of Fame ceremony, he doesn’t mail it in at all. That — and the fact he pulled up at all — is an indicator of the power of Tom Brady, who has the respect of just about everyone across the sports and entertainment world for what he did on the football field and his incredible longevity of greatness.