FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick paid Tom Brady the highest compliment a day after the quarterback announced his retirement.
Referring to Brady as the "ultimate competitor and winner," Belichick said in a statement: "Tom's humble beginning in professional football ultimately ended with him becoming the best player in NFL history."
Belichick, who was traveling Tuesday when Brady announced his retirement, just completed his 47th consecutive year as an NFL coach, the most consecutive seasons as an NFL coach in history. His appreciation for NFL history is well documented.
"Tom consistently performed at the highest level against competition that always made him the number one player to stop," Belichick said in the statement.