TAMPA, Fla. — During his football tenure, Tom Brady has made his name a household one, and even those who aren't the biggest football fans more than likely know his name.
Michael Mondello with the Vinik Sports and Entertainment Management Program at the University of South Florida said Brady broke age and ethnicity barriers through the game.
"My 84-year-old mother [made it] an appointment to watch... I don't know if it was for really watching football or watching Tom Brady but she made a point to watch him and from that aspect, I think he created a lot of goodwill in the community," Mondello said.
That goodwill began on the football field as Brady took a once underdog team to the Super Bowl for a second time and put Tampa on the map as a football city.
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Mondello said what Brady did goes far beyond the game.
"I think his legacy is going to be really inspirational for athletes of all ages and genders because he wasn't a highly drafted player out of college," Mondello said. "I think he's inspiring to a lot of people that it shows that you don't have to be the most recruited or five-star athlete to have success at whatever level."
On the surface, Brady's legacy is that of perhaps the best player of all time, but digging deeper Tampa Bay History Center Curator Brad Massey said Brady's accomplishments strengthened the community.
"It's not just about football. It's not just about winning super bowls and getting to the playoffs it's also about helping our community really come together and creating an identity through the shared experience, which is fortunately when Brady was here the Buccaneers success," Massey said.
Brady may be physically gone from Raymond James' field but he will never truly be gone.
