The Broncos NRL squad’s meeting with Tom Brady and an all-time touchdown clutch catch from the NFL legend to Broncos sensation Reece Walsh has gone viral, a month out from the NRL’s historic season opener in Vegas.
The full squad, NRLW stars and key football and club personnel met and were photographed with Brady before his speaking event in Brisbane, as part of an exclusive brand promotional partnership, on the eve of the club’s US trip.
21 year old Walsh, who was born the same year Brady won his first Super Bowl with the Patriots, took part in a one-on-one interview with host JT Foxx as the curtain-raiser to Brady’s appearance.
“I’m a bit nervous being up here right before Tom Brady,” Walsh told the 2000-strong audience at the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane.
“I just want to play my part in the team and bring success to the Broncos, helping everyone around me be great.
It’s all about helping each other and having the people around you that will help you get to your best.
Reece Walsh
Brady took to the stage minutes after Walsh, with several references to the Broncos squad in the crowd, parallels to his sport and the upcoming clash in Vegas.
The 46 year old delivered key messages around his philosophies around life as a professional athlete, father and businessman, with a focus on ‘controlling what you can control.’
“What I learned over the course of my time at college, I wasn’t the most physically gifted but emotionally in terms of my competitiveness, my work ethic, and my discipline, I was way ahead of everyone else,” Brady said.
“Those were the things that were going to allow me to be successful.
In my second year, I was ready to compete and in the second game of the year Drew Bledsoe got hurt and I ran onto that field, and I said, ‘if they ever put me in, they’re never going to take me out’ and 22 years later they never took me off that field.
Tom Brady
“Now, this is a new chapter in my life when I go into broadcasting and as I continue to meet people and learn from them, I’m going to surround myself with people that bring out the best in me.
“When people bet on me, I’ll make sure I do everything I can to live up to their expectation of me.
“I aim to do that the same way I always have. I’m going to work really hard, I’m going to be really committed and I’m going to be really open to learning.”
Before the evening drew a close, Walsh’s speed and precision was put to the test, as he iced a now-infamous spiral touchdown pass from Brady under pressure, to the applause of the crowd.
“I just didn’t want to drop the ball, the nerves were through the roof,” Walsh reflected.
It was a pretty surreal experience, it’s not every day you get to catch a ball from Tom Brady.
Reece Walsh
“That was a moment that I’m going to look back on and cherish for a long time.
“I’m very grateful for the experience and hearing him chat. I got to shake hands with the best NFL player.”
One lucky Broncos member won a club-run competition to meet Brady and their favourite Bronco, Robert Ing and his family were pictured with Pat Carrigan and the NFL star as part of the meet and greet opportunity. Read more here.
The ‘Evening With Tom Brady’ event was presented by Sports Tech World Series.
