HOUSTON — Sunday night during our postgame coverage of the Patriots Super Bowl win, a report circulated on social media that Tom Brady’s game-worn jersey was stolen from the locker room and we, as a team, tried to confirm the news while we were broadcasting live.
My colleague, Butch Stearns, spoke with a Patriots employee and returned to where I was standing on the field with an update I relayed as quickly as I could.
I said on the air, “A developing story we are following. USA Today has reported in the last few minutes that Tom Brady’s jersey may have been taken from the locker room - stolen from the locker room - but Butch just ran over to one of the team reps, and the team rep does not believe that to be true, so we will stay on top of that story as well. The team rep said he saw one of the security people take Tom’s jersey and put it in a safe place.”
When uncertainty about the jersey’s whereabouts still existed Monday morning, I asked Brady during the MVP news conference if he had any update on the whereabouts of the jersey.
“The jersey,” said Brady. “I put it in my bag and then came out and it wasn’t there anymore, so it’s unfortunate because that’s a nice piece of memorabilia. So if it shows up on eBay somewhere, someone let me know, try to track that down.”
After the news conference, I followed up with the Patriots, who clarified that the message originally relayed on Sunday night to my colleague, Butch, was that the jersey and Brady’s pads were taken off the field by an official before the trophy ceremony.
Based on what Brady said Monday morning, it seems the jersey was lost after that.
“Those are pretty special ones to keep, you know? What can you do,” said Brady. “I’ll take the ring and that’s good enough for me.”
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has now asked the Texas Rangers to assist in the investigation and search for Brady's jersey.
Patrick said Texas places "a very high value on hospitality and football," adding: "It is important that history does not record" that Brady's jersey was stolen in the state.
He continued: "Whoever took this jersey should turn it in" since the "Texas Rangers are on the trail."
"The jersey that Brady wore to win the 'Impossible Dream' Super Bowl comeback yesterday is an iconic piece that could bring $1 million if sold at auction," said Lelands.com founder and chairman Joshua Evans, which recently sold a Deflategate football at auction.
Evans also noted that the world record for a sports jersey sale is $4.5 million for a 1920 Babe Ruth Yankees jersey sold by Lelands.
As an aside, Evans said the Robert Kraft Super Bowl ring "pocketed" by Putin would bring about $250,000 at auction.
"The fact that Putin has it and has become an issue of international diplomacy has increased the value greatly Normally it would bring about $100,000. The $25,000 figure that has been bandied about is absurd. That is merely the appraised "jewelry" value. Let's see if Trump will make it a part of policy and get it back for Kraft (which he wants him to do)."
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