Tom Brady, who grew up in the Bay Area, was a massive 49ers fans in his youth. And ahead of his matchup with his childhood team on Sunday, he reflected on how he feels about the franchise—and opened up about some beef he still has with the team that stretches back to over 20 years ago.
“[I] was lucky to grow up in the Bay Area at that time,” Brady said. “It was just a great time. There was so many great players, great era of football. And I love the 49ers, and I loved them through college and when they skipped over me six times I started hating the 49ers, and that’s just the way it went down.”
Brady was laughingly referring to the 2000 NFL draft when San Francisco passed on him, like every other team, with almost every chance they got. It wasn’t until No. 199 pick in the draft that Patriots selected the eventual seven-time Super Bowl champion out of Michigan.
Brady, playing most of his career in the AFC, has only played the 49ers on the road once before, back in 2016.
Kickoff at Levi’s Stadium is scheduled for Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.
