“That’s a great question. I think my dad is my hero, because he’s someone I look up to every day,” Brady said, before there a noticeable pause.

Brady then looked down and adjusted the microphone with his right hand. His eyes welled up before he made eye contact with the 7-year-old and simply said, “My dad.”

Brady nodded his head and gave a thumbs-up to the questioner, Joseph Duarte, who was on hand at after winning a “Kid Reporter” contest.

Shortly thereafter, Brady was asked if critical remarks about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made by his father, Tom Brady Sr., represented his own feelings. He again became emotional.

“Well, I’d say my dad represents his feelings, because he’s a dad, and I’m a dad and … ,” Brady said as his voice trailed off.

That was followed by another noticeable pause as Brady, who hardly ever shows emotion when answering questions from reporters, collected himself. He later said that he hoped his father would be in attendance for Super Bowl LI, before reflecting on his father’s influence in his life.

“He was just a great example for me, and he was always someone who supported me in everything I did, to come home at night and bring me out, hit me ground balls and fly balls. I loved baseball growing up,” Brady said. “And to have a chance to go to 49er games on the weekend with him and my mom, and throw the ball in the parking lot before the games; those are memories that I’ll have forever.”

2 Related

The Niners officially hired Lynch on Sunday evening in what came as a major surprise to the NFL world. The 49ers spoke to nine candidates for the job, publicly confirming each interview along the way. But while there was always the belief that York could expand the search beyond those nine executives, Lynch’s name didn’t surface until the moment he was hired.

According to Lynch, the process came together in the span of about two weeks after he broadcast an NFC divisional playoff game between the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks.

Following that game, Lynch said he spoke to Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, the presumptive next coach of the 49ers. As the pair talked, Lynch mentioned that he had interest in jumping into management and that he had nearly done so with the Denver Broncos a few years ago.

“If I’m going to bet on somebody, I’m going to bet on John Lynch,” Shanahan said Monday night at the Super Bowl’s “Opening Night” media event in Houston. “John has succeeded at everything. That’s what excites me about him.”

Lynch also said he had spoken to others about making the move, but after the conversation, Shanahan presented the option to York.

“That’s kind of been out there,” Lynch said. “I always said — I even said to my bosses at FOX — if the right situation arose, that it would be something that I would have to consider. Kyle and I were in a conversation; he seemed to get excited. At that point, he turned it over to Jed and [49ers VP of football operations] Paraag [Marathe], and the rest moved fairly quickly.”

It also moved quietly, a stipulation Lynch said he requested at the beginning of the process, because he didn’t want to have any undue pressure on him, his employers or his family.

“I’m incredibly appreciative and fortunate in this world that things stayed quiet; because what that did, it allowed me to truly assess the situation, to ask the tough questions, to just kind of get with the people that I’m going to be working with and any elephant in the room, just get rid of it,” Lynch said. “I didn’t need the job, so that gave me a great position to be able to just kind of be very forward, and I asked those questions.

“I wanted to be able to best evaluate this situation as it developed, and I thought it would be much easier if I didn’t have the world breathing down my throat.”

Lynch now must begin the process of building a staff that can help him adjust to his new role. He complimented 49ers assistant general manager Tom Gamble and said he’s looking forward to sitting down to “soak up” Gamble’s experience in the scouting world.

Beyond that, Lynch said he will soon start the process of “aggressively pursuing” people he has relationships with who he believes are some of the best in the business to fill out the staff.

“Outside, I don’t want to get into specifics, but I can just tell you that we’re going to be really aggressive and the response I can tell you has been really magnificent with people that really want to be here,” Lynch said.

Lynch declined to say how the Niners would divide power between himself and Shanahan. But a source told ESPN’s Jim Trotter that Lynch will have final say on the draft and the 90-man roster, while Shanahan, assuming his hire as coach, would have control of the 53-man roster.

Lynch, who will report directly to York, emphasized the importance of coming to a consensus on major football decisions.

“I can tell you that from the outset, what has been communicated to me is that we really want this to be a true partnership,” Lynch said. “Jed has communicated that, Paraag has communicated that, that’s my wish.”

2 Related

The Niners officially hired Lynch on Sunday evening in what came as a major surprise to the NFL world. The 49ers spoke to nine candidates for the job, publicly confirming each interview along the way. But while there was always the belief that York could expand the search beyond those nine executives, Lynch’s name didn’t surface until the moment he was hired.

According to Lynch, the process came together in the span of about two weeks after he broadcast an NFC divisional playoff game between the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks.

Following that game, Lynch said he spoke to then-Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, the presumptive next coach of the 49ers. As the pair talked, Lynch mentioned that he had interest in jumping into management and that he had nearly done so with the Denver Broncos a few years ago.

“If I’m going to bet on somebody, I’m going to bet on John Lynch,” Shanahan said Monday night at the Super Bowl’s “Opening Night” media event in Houston. “John has succeeded at everything. That’s what excites me about him.”

Lynch also said he had spoken to others about making the move, but after the conversation, Shanahan presented the option to York.

“That’s kind of been out there,” Lynch said. “I always said — I even said to my bosses at FOX — if the right situation arose, that it would be something that I would have to consider. Kyle and I were in a conversation; he seemed to get excited. At that point, he turned it over to Jed and [49ers VP of football operations] Paraag [Marathe], and the rest moved fairly quickly.”

It also moved quietly, a stipulation Lynch said he requested at the beginning of the process, because he didn’t want to have any undue pressure on him, his employers or his family.

“I’m incredibly appreciative and fortunate in this world that things stayed quiet; because what that did, it allowed me to truly assess the situation, to ask the tough questions, to just kind of get with the people that I’m going to be working with and any elephant in the room, just get rid of it,” Lynch said. “I didn’t need the job, so that gave me a great position to be able to just kind of be very forward, and I asked those questions.

“I wanted to be able to best evaluate this situation as it developed, and I thought it would be much easier if I didn’t have the world breathing down my throat.”

Lynch now must begin the process of building a staff that can help him adjust to his new role. He complimented 49ers assistant general manager Tom Gamble and said he’s looking forward to sitting down to “soak up” Gamble’s experience in the scouting world.

Beyond that, Lynch said he will soon start the process of “aggressively pursuing” people he has relationships with who he believes are some of the best in the business to fill out the staff.

“Outside, I don’t want to get into specifics, but I can just tell you that we’re going to be really aggressive and the response I can tell you has been really magnificent with people that really want to be here,” Lynch said.

Lynch declined to say how the Niners would divide power between himself and Shanahan. But a source told ESPN’s Jim Trotter that Lynch will have final say on the draft and the 90-man roster, while Shanahan, assuming his hire as coach, would have control of the 53-man roster.

Lynch, who will report directly to York, emphasized the importance of coming to a consensus on major football decisions.

“I can tell you that from the outset, what has been communicated to me is that we really want this to be a true partnership,” Lynch said. “Jed has communicated that, Paraag has communicated that, that’s my wish.”