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During a team meeting at the New England Patriots, Tom Brady was reportedly overcome with emotion as he denied any involvement in the "Deflategate" scandal, according to a former Patriots teammate. Darrelle Revis revealed that Brady passionately asserted his innocence to the team, emphasizing that the accusations against him were unfounded and wouldn't disrupt their focus.
"When the Deflategate happened and Tom was the headliner of the whole situation, he addressed us as a team," Darrelle Revis told Apple TV+'s documentary, "The Dynasty."
"You could tell he was distraught... He said this is something I wouldn't do. I would not ruin the season for us; the allegations are false. He was actually bawling his eyes out in front of us."
Brady took it hard
The controversy erupted when Brady was accused of instructing team personnel to deflate game balls below the league's minimum requirement during the 2014 AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Despite initially accepting a four-game suspension, Brady appealed the decision, which was ultimately overturned in 2016. However, the Patriots faced consequences, including a $1 million fine and the loss of draft picks.
Owner Robert Kraft acknowledged Brady's emotional struggle during the ordeal, noting that the quarterback took the situation hard, especially feeling betrayed after Kraft's press conference in 2015.
"The two weeks were very difficult on Tommy, he was taking it very hard," Kraft noted.
Despite the turmoil, Brady and the Patriots continued their success, winning Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks that year, contributing to the team's storied legacy.