The New England Patriots retired Tom Brady's jersey on Wednesday night, and by all accounts it was a great event, even if it is a little questionable on if Brady did enough to have his No. 12 hang in the Gillette Stadium rafters.
Looking not a day over 29 at 46 years old, Brady provided a nice glimpse of the next phase of his life as a Fox broadcaster and a public speaker, including one of the best pieces of evangelism for the game of football these ears have ever heard.
It can be nerve-wracking for parents to put their son in armor so he can run into someone bigger and stronger than him but, as the most accomplished player in football history, that's exactly why he should do it.
We're in the season of commencement speeches across the country, and so let's consider this Brady's commencement speech to the school of football.
"I encourage everyone to play football, for the simple reason that it is hard," Brady said. "It's hard when you're young to wake up in the offseason to wake up at 6 am and go workout, knowing that all your friends are sleeping in and eating pancakes... It's hard to throw, catch, block and tackle, and hit kids when they're way bigger and way more developed than you, only to go home that night bruised and battered and strained, but knowing that you have to show up again the next day for just the chance to try again. But understand this, life is hard."
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) June 13, 2024
Well said, Tom. You might have a future in this game after all.
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