Tom Brady Opens Up on Donald Trump Relationship

Tom Brady expanded on his relationship with Donald Trump during a weekly Monday morning radio interview, saying he and Trump have been friends for some time now and the Republican presidential nominee often calls him after games.

Brady also said he'd be voting this Election Day but stopped short of saying who he'd check the box for.

"I met him probably 15, 16 years ago," Brady said. "We’ve played golf together many, many times, and I’ve always had a good time with him. He’s been a friend of mine. He’s supported our team. He’s supported the Patriots. He’s been on the Patriots sideline a lot. He’s always called me after games to encourage me over the course of 15 years. That’s kind of the way it is."

The comments, made on WEEI's "Kirk and Callahan Show," came just five days after Brady was criticized by some for not answering a reporter's question on how the Patriots quarterback would feel if his children heard Trump's "locker room" talk.

"There's been a lot of headlines to make, and I've tried not to make a lot of headlines," Brady said Monday of ending his Wednesday interview after the Trump question. "I’ve been in an organization where we’re taught to say very little, we have respect for our opponents and we don’t do the trash-talking. The thing I’ve always thought is I don’t want to be a distraction for the team."

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Brady has been known for shying away from publicly taking sides on some issues, as many think he likes to keep his brand as free from potential controversy as possible. But he's talked Trump a few times since the New York businessman started his campaign.

In September of last year, Brady stood in front of a "Make America Great Again" hat and said a Trump presidency "would be great." Brady would soften his endorsement the next day, saying his comments were blown out of proportion and that he was unsure of what many of the political issues are.

Brady's past comments have had many Patch readers say they are disappointed in someone viewed as an icon around these parts supporting such a controversial candidate as Trump, while some are proud of Brady for stepping up for Trump and wish he'd be even more forward about it.

Many prominent athletes have used their platform to make stances of social and political issues during this election season, most notably San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been kneeling during the pre-game national anthem to protest what he says is the oppression of "black people and people of color." Before he knelt during the National Anthem Sunday in Buffalo, fans in the stadium let out a loud chant of "USA, USA."

Would you think differently of Brady based on who he votes for? Do you care about his personal relationship with Trump? Let us know in the comments.

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>>>Go to WEEI.com to listen to Kirk and Callahan's interview with Brady<<<

Brady photo by Jeffrey Beall via Flickr; Trump photo by Gage Skidmore via Flickr