Tom Brady recently delivered the commencement address for the Class of 2026 at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. During his speech, the seven-time Super Bowl champion continued his comedy streak by poking playful fun at his former head coach, Bill Belichick, and the rival New York Jets.
The legendary former quarterback was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree before taking the podium. Stepping up to the microphone, he delivered a witty and highly memorable motivational speech to the graduating undergraduates.
Tom Brady
Feb 4, 2020; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Brady described his former coach in terms every Patriots player would recognize. The Georgetown graduates erupted when he reached the punchline about Belichick’s sideline habits and wardrobe choices.
“Even if one of those people is a cranky old coach who cuts the sleeves off his sweatshirt and screams at you all day,” Bradysaid this and the crowd roared.
Belichick’s hoodie modification needs no explanation for NFL fans. He appeared at practices and games with his sleeves hacked off, in any weather. Brady played under him from 2000 through 2019.
The sleeveless sweatshirt became a visual trademark of Belichick’s coaching style over the years. Players and broadcasters discussed it constantly. Brady turned that image into a commencement laugh on Saturday.
Tom Brady also worked the room with a jab at local football loyalties. He told the graduates he was happy to celebrate, “even the ones who are Jets fans,” Brady said.
The Jets reference carried extra weight in the Washington D.C. region. The area sits between AFC East fan bases who spent two decades watching Brady beat their teams.
The quarterback then shifted to the raw statistics that defined his playing career. “Twenty-three, that was the number of pro seasons I played. Seven, those were my Super Bowl wins [the seventh being with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers]. Three, those were the Super Bowl losses. Damn it, Eli Manning,” Brady joked and the audience laughed hard. “I heard that back there.”
Eli Manning and the Giants handed Brady two of the most painful losses. Both came in the Super Bowl. The reference worked as humor at his own expense.
Brady framed the speech around lessons from football that apply directly to business. He challenged graduates to embrace uncomfortable ideas and difficult people who push them toward their best performance.
Tom Brady’s Post-NFL Comedy Streak is Very Much a Thing Now
Brady’s Georgetown appearance followed his turn at Netflix’s roast of Kevin Hart earlier this week. These comedy spots signal Brady remains comfortable commanding a room after retirement.
At the Hart roast, Brady took the opening shots at the comedian. He went straight at the absurdity of the whole setup: “How did the GOAT roast go from me to you? I won seven Super Bowls; Kevin has made two ‘Ride Along’ movies.”
He twisted it further, adding that he’d won five Super Bowl MVP awards while Hart was busy being “the third most famous person in ‘Jumanji.'” The crowd ate it up.
Then came the more personal stuff. Brady asked Hart if he’d even left the Forum since 2024, “or have you just been here screaming into that mic for the last two years waiting for Daddy to come home?” He let that hang for a beat, then added that unlike Hart’s real dad, he actually showed up.
He handed Hart a Knicks jersey, child-sized, on the exact day the Knicks had just knocked the 76ers out of the playoffs. Hart, a die-hard Philly guy, had no choice but to hold it up in front of everyone.