The legendary NFL quarterback led his team to their second franchise championship on Sunday, beating out the defending champs, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, with a score of31-9. The victory was all the sweeter as the game was held on the Bucs’ home turf, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
It’s a record-extending seventh Super Bowl victory for Brady, who led the New England Patriots to a league-leading six championships during his historic tenure under center. In his very first season with the Bucs, the future Hall of Famer impressively captained his new franchise to their second Super Bowl and second victory.
The showdown between Brady and Mahomes — considered by many to be the greatest quarterback in history and a possible heir to the throne, respectively — was also an historic one, as it was the first time the two previous Super Bowl champion quarterbacks have faced off against one another. (Brady won Super Bowl LIII with the Patriots in 2019.)
During his Super Bowl press conference ahead of the game, the Bucs QB took a question from a young fan, and shared a sweet reflection on his favorite part of winning Super Bowls past — and why he hoped to be victorious once again.
“The best part about winning is having the people that have helped you get there and support you there with you to enjoy it,” Brady shared. “Some of the best memories I’ve had in my life were being with my kids right after Super Bowls, so I hope we have that experience on Sunday.”
This year’s Super Bowl was, of course, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with limited fans in attendance and strict protocols in place. As a way to show thanks to those who have been working on the frontlines over the past year, the NFL invited 7,500 healthcare workers, all of whom have received both doses of the COVID vaccine, to attend the big game. The majority of those invited were from hospitals and healthcare systems in the Tampa area.
“It is wonderful to be celebrated at the Super Bowl as heroes for what we’ve done in the last year,” Rev. Jenny Sumner Carswell, Chaplain Educator and Coordinator in Spiritual Health at Tampa General Hospital, told ET of getting chosen to attend the Super Bowl. “All of us healthcare workers, we haven’t been living in a bubble. We’ve been coming into work and having to do this for eight, 10, 12 hours, and then going home and holding the rest of it — school shutdowns, the economic hit and the fear of our family members catching COVID-19. It has been a really challenging, tragic year and I’m grateful for this chance to tell our narrative.”
“We come to work every day because it’s in our heart to do it, so to be awarded something this significant, at a time like this, it really means the world.” added Glenda Wright, Director of Environmental Services. “It’s a complete honor to be a recipient and I’m just very proud. Proud of who we work for, and proud of who we work with.”
After Sunday night’s big victory, Brady was awarded his fifth Super Bowl MVP award, the most in NFL history.
