Tom Brady returns to hero's welcome at Patriots' opener

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady ran out of the tunnel in front of a screaming New England crowd one more time Sunday, returning to the place where he established himself as one of the NFL’s greatest players to thank Patriots fans for “another day in this stadium that I will never forget.”

With the six Super Bowl trophies he won for New England behind him, Brady took the stage set up on the field at halftime of the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles and declared himself “a Patriot for life.”

“Nobody 23 years ago would imagine that this journey would bring us here today,” said Brady, an unheralded, sixth-round pick in the 2000 draft who went on to win three NFL MVP awards and five Super Bowl MVPs while leading New England to 17 division titles in 19 seasons.

“All our lives take us on different journeys. They take us to different places, they bring different people into our lives,” Brady said. “But one thing I am sure of and that will never change is that I am a Patriot for life.”

Brady made his first appearance Sunday from atop the stadium's new lighthouse, where he rang a bell to the cheers of the rain-soaked fans to signal the start of the festivities. Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced that the team would waive the four-year waiting period and induct Brady into the franchise hall of fame next summer.

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