"We won the game, but my mom won too" - Tom Brady compares incredible SB LI comeback to his mother's fight with cancer
Tom Brady's Man in the Arena documentary hasn't disappointed. The documentary has given fans behind-the-scenes footage of the ups and downs of the most accomplished player in NFL history.
One of the high points of Brady's career was playing in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons in 2017. Unfortunately, there was a low point, too, as the quarterback witnessed his mother get diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2016.
The New England Patriots ultimately won the Super Bowl after famously trailing 28-7. But if it was a happy moment for Brady, the competitor, it was an even bigger moment for his family.
Tom Brady's Super Bowl LI victory was bigger than the 28-3 comeback.
Episode 7 of Man In The Arena begins streaming Tuesday, December 28 on @ESPNPlus. https://t.co/GdOEOUmceU
Tom Brady won SB LI during Deflategate and his mother's fight with cancer
Tom Brady spoke in episode seven of the documentary about the time he found out his mother had cancer.
“I remember getting a call, I don’t remember exactly when, but there were some concerns that she had ’cause she wasn’t feeling great for a period of time,” Brady said.
The 2016 season was difficult and trying for Brady from the start. He was suspended for four games over the infamous Deflategate scandal, which he initially was supposed to serve in 2015.
Deflategate notoriously involved Brady intentionally ordering the footballs to be deflated to give the Indianapolis Colts a disadvantage.
However, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York revoked his suspension for 2015. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reinstated his suspension for the 2016 season.
Brady had a good season statistically in his 12 games in 2016, throwing 28 touchdowns to just two interceptions. But seeing his mother battle breast cancer took a toll emotionally, even for someone as mentally focused on football as Brady. The emotion he felt after the win was palpable. He added:
“You know, that year had its challenging aspects and the way that it culminated with us all being together. After the game with my mom, just, you know, giving her a big hug, and my dad and everyone was crying. It was just a really emotional time. We won the game, but my mom won, too. My family won, too.”
Between his mother's bout with cancer and being suspended for Deflategate, Brady's 2016 season was arguably the toughest of his 22-year career. Understandably, the Brady family was overwhelmed with emotion.
The Patriots' comeback against the Falcons was one of the most memorable moments in NFL history. While Falcons fans would have wanted to erase the memory of the game, it held significant importance for Brady.
In the latest episode of "Man in the Arena," Tom Brady says he treated his post-suspension Patriots season as "an FEA year."
FEA year?
"FEA meant '(Expletive) 'em all,' man."
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His mother watching him in person be victorious in the Super Bowl meant the world to Brady. She has since defeated cancer and witnessed her son win two more Super Bowls.
This story is proof that even a legendary figure like Brady has his battles he must overcome just like the rest of us.