"You should be dead before you have a statue": Tom Brady reveals true feelings on his sculpture after Patriots honor franchise legend 

The New England Patriots honored Tom Brady by inducting him into their Hall of Fame in June last year. They also unveiled a statue of the quarterback on Aug. 8 at Gillette Stadium in Boston, Massachusetts.

During an appearance on the "Almost Athletes with Dude Perfect" podcast, which aired on Wednesday, Brady said that he was grateful for the Patriots' tribute.

"It was a great, very thoughtful gesture by the team, by (Patriots owner) Mr. Kraft and the whole organization," Brady said. "It was a very meaningful time in all of our lives. It transformed the life of an organization, but a community, and certainly in my life, personally, my family's life.

"I think, hopefully, I changed that community (in New England) for the better for a long time. So all those kids now who were a part of that growing up and watching how the Rob Gronkowskis and the Tedy Bruschis and the Wes Welkers and the Edelmans and the Deion Branch and Randy Moss, how they handled the success and with class and dignity and respect. They have a good example for how to do that, and that just proliferates.

However, Brady also said that it was unusual for him to receive a statue while he was still alive.

"Everybody kind of plays a part," Brady said. "Yeah, it's me, but it's really all of us. Again, part of the GOAT thing with them. And it's like, I even said, 'I think you should be dead before you have a statue.'"

Brady's statue at Gillette Stadium in the Patriot Place Plaza stands at 12 feet. The size of the bronze statue was also in honor of the QB, who wore the jersey No. 12 over his 20-year Patriots career.

Tom Brady led the Patriots to six Super Bowl wins

NFL: Former New England Patriots QB Tom Brady - Source: Imagn

The New England Patriots drafted Tom Brady in the sixth round in 2000. He led the Patriots to nine Super Bowls, winning six of them.

Brady also played the final three years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won the Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in his first year with the team.

Brady retired from pro football in February 2023. He is currently in his second year as a Fox analyst.