2016 was a tough year for Tom Brady. It was the year when he had to miss the first 4 games of the season, following the Deflategate verdicts. However, that seemed to be the least of his concerns heading into the new season, as the family was shaken by another tragic news. His mother, Galynn Patricia Brady, was diagnosed with cancer that same year.
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Deflategate was perhaps the only and the most brutal blow to Brady’s image of being a clean player. It all started when accusations were leveled at the Patriots for intentionally reducing the pressure of the footballs used for the 2014 AFC Championship game. Apparently, Brady liked the grip on the softer balls, and the move was his idea. Though NFL could not directly link him to the action, he was suspended anyway.
Deflategate suspension was the least of Tom Brady’s worries in 2016
Back in 2016, Brady and his family were going through something much more serious than a few missed games. His mother, Galynn Patricia, was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of that year. “I remember getting a call. I don’t remember exactly when, but there were some concerns that she had ’cause she wasn’t feeling great for a period of time,” Brady said during ESPN+’s ‘Man in the Arena’ series.
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Brady’s older sister, Julie, also talked about how they found out about it. “She was going in for a little checkup, where they found out she had breast cancer, and she also got myeloma. The breast cancer she had to start getting treatment right away,” she said. Brady’s other sister, Nancy, added that Galynn internalized a lot of the pain. Especially when she saw Brady suffer through the Deflategate scandal.
Tom Brady won the Super Bowl that season in an extraordinary fashion
Even with the 4 games missed, Tom Brady went on to lead his team to their 5th ever Super Bowl win. In fact, this was the year when the Patriots managed to overcome a 28-3 deficit against the Atlanta Falcons to lift the Vince Lombardi trophy. Galynn made the trip to Houston and watched as her son added yet another ring to his collection.
“You know, that year had its challenging aspects and the way that it culminated with us all being together. After the game with my mom, just, you know, giving her a big hug, and my dad and everyone was crying. It was just a really emotional time,” Brady said. “We won the game, but my mom won, too. My family won, too”. It almost looked like this is a scripted fairytale ending. Is this how every story ends?
