After linking arms with his teammates during the national anthem to show unity prior to Sunday’s football game, Tom Brady is now weighing in on the pointed comments President Donald Trump said towards the NFL about players protesting.
The New England Patriots star said he thought Trump’s comments were ‘divisive’ while speaking Monday morning on Kirk & Callahan.
Brady, who reportedly supported Trump during the election, said he disagreed with the president who said during a rally: ‘Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He’s fired. He’s fired’.’
Brady said: ‘Yeah, I certainly disagree with what he said. I thought it was just divisive.
‘Like I said, I just want to support my teammates. I am never one to say, ‘Oh, that is wrong. That is right.’ I do believe in what I believe in. I believe in bringing people together and respect and love and trust.’
After linking arms with his teammates during the national anthem to show unity prior to Sunday’s football game, Tom Brady (above #12) is now weighing in on the pointed comments President Donald Trump said towards the NFL about players protesting
The New England Patriots star (left) said he thought Trump’s (right) comments were ‘divisive’ while speaking Monday morning on Kirk & Callahan
Brady, 40, said he disagreed with the president. Above about 20 Patriots players kneel during the national anthem Sunday
The 40-year-old Super Bowl champion added: ‘Those are the values that my parents instilled in me. That is how I try and live every day.
‘I have been blessed to be in locker rooms with guys all over the United States over the course of my career.
‘Some of my great friends are from Florida, Virginia, New York, Montana, Colorado, Texas.
‘The one thing about football is it brings so many guys together — guys you would never have the opportunity to be around.
‘Whether it was in college, and all the way into the pros. We’re all different, we’re all unique. That is what makes us all special.’
Brady (above after the game on Sunday) said: ‘You don’t have to agree with everything. It’s hard to agree with your own wife on everything from day-to-day. I have so much respect for my teammates and what we’re trying to accomplish’
Brady posted this picture of himself with running back James White in an apparent show of support for his 20 teammates who knelt during the national anthem before Sunday’s game. White knelt while Brady remained standing
The father-of-three quarterback reiterated the comments he said after the game about why he linked arms with his teammate Phillip Dorsett and others.
‘Yeah, I have a lot of respect for the players around the league and for obviously my teammates,’ Brady said.
‘I said after the game I just love my teammates and it takes a lot to play in the NFL.
‘The guys that have played in the past really paved the way for us and what I thought in that post is that is what makes this game great – players, coaches that come together for one goal, to try and go out there and do the best we can do every week.
‘It certainly is not an easy game. It’s intense. You sacrifice a lot. We’re all making a choice to do that.
Reports from the Patriots home field of Gillette Stadium indicated that the kneeling players were met with boos from the stands and repeated shouts of ‘stand up!’
‘There’s no – we love doing that and I love being out there being out there playing with my teammates. It’s a great blessing in my life. That’s kind of how I felt.’
The five-time Super Bowl winner added: ‘Hopefully it brings everyone together. I think that is what unity and love — like I said after the game, those are the things that concern me.
‘When you’re in a locker room full of 53 players, you’re working to a common goal. You support the guys that you play with and you support your coaches, coaches support you.
‘You just do the best you can do. You’re navigating through life. These things aren’t easy. Everyone deals with different challenges in their life and you respect everyone’s opinions and views.
‘You don’t have to agree with everything. It’s hard to agree with your own wife on everything from day-to-day. I have so much respect for my teammates and what we’re trying to accomplish.
‘Hopefully we can keep marching toward this end of the season, keep making improvements, get better and win more football games.’
In regards to those who boo’d in the crowd during and after the national anthem, Brady said that people can do what they want to do.
‘I think everyone has the right to do whatever they want to do. If you don’t agree, that is fine,’ Brady stated.
‘You can voice your disagreement, I think that is great. It’s part of our democracy. As long as it is done in a peaceful, respectful way, that is what our country has been all about.’