Patriots Nation is preparing for what's sure to be an emotional Sunday.
Not only will be it be the start of a new season, but Tom Brady himself is set to be honored at half time at Gillette.
Brady talked about his upcoming Gillette appearance on his "Let's Go!" podcast with co-host Jim Gray; he's excited because although he spent his last few seasons playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it's the connections he made during his two decades at Gillette that he looks back on with incredible gratitude.
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The last time Brady was at Gillette Stadium for a game was on the opposite sideline two seasons ago when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Patriots. Now, he'll be coming back as a fan for the first time ever and is expected to be honored during halftime of the game on this upcoming Sunday.
The game is against the Philadelphia Eagles, who are the reigning NFC champs, coming off an emotional Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last season.
During Brady's "Let's Go" podcast, Tom talked about how with every season, there's new hope and new story lines.
“A lot of gratitude, a lot of gratitude,” Brady said. “I had two decades of incredible, life-altering experiences. I have so many memories from my time there and memories with people there, and I’m creating a new memory with the people there. And to go back to that stadium and bring my kids and my family in a different way, you know, I’ve not been to that stadium in this way ever."
Brady said it will be a different experience to be at Gillette as a fan.
“I went there as a player, I went there once as a competitor and now I’m going to go there as a fan," he said. "I don’t think it’s going to be hard to be a fan though, I love the sport, I love the Patriots so going back up there to see a lot of my friends and family is going to be really a great experience.”
Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. At last check, tickets for the game were still available, with the cheapest ones going for $200.
