TAMPA, Fla — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is headed to his 10th Super Bowl right here in Tampa Bay in less than two weeks. But, his journey this season got off to a difficult start.
Both of Brady's parents battled COVID-19 last year as he began his first season with the Bucs, according to ESPN.
In an interview on ESPN radio's "Greeny" show, Tom Brady Sr. opened up about his struggles with the virus. He revealed that at one point he was hospitalized for three weeks and called his experience "a matter of life and death."
The father of the NFL star said that he and his wife, both 76, missed 2 of their son's games for the first time in his football career.
Tom Brady Sr. went on to describe the toll that their diagnoses took on the Bucs' quarterback, saying it was hard for him to balance football with his concerns for his parents. He said his son was "stressed out" worrying for his parents.
But now that the Bucs' star's parents are recovered, Tom Brady Sr. said they plan to be at Raymond James Stadium to watch their son lead the Bucs against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
"Tommy fought through it, and so now it's in the rearview mirror," Brady Sr. said. "We're healthy, we're happy and everything is good."
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