Visiting the White House after winning a championship is a tradition that has been around for decades – be it at the college level or in the pros of any major sport. It’s something most players look forward to doing, but after winning Super Bowl LI over the Falcons, a handful of Patriots are bowing out.
A total of six players – Dont’a Hightower, Martellus Bennett, Chris Long, Devin McCourty, Alan Branch and LeGarrette Blount – have all said they’re not going to make the trip to Washington with the Patriots this offseason. They’ve cited different reasons for skipping it, ranging from wanting to see their families to not feeling welcome with President Donald Trump in office.
After Robert Kraft commented on the situation on “The Today Show” on Monday, arguing it’s not uncommon for players to skip the visit and this year is “the first time it’s gotten any media attention,” Tom Brady expressed a similar sentiment Tuesday.
“Everybody has their own choice,” Brady told Pro Football Talk. “There’s certain years, like a couple years ago, I wanted to go, and then didn’t get the opportunity based on the scheduling. We didn’t get told until 10 days before we were going, and at that point, I had something that I had been planning for months.”
Brady didn’t attend two years ago after the Patriots won Super Bowl XLIX over the Seahawks, saying he had a prior commitment. There was speculation Brady stayed away as a protest against the White House after press secretary Josh Earnest mocked the quarterback’s public relations skills during the height of Deflategate.
Though some players have cited political reasons for not joining the team, Brady said it was never about that for him.
“Putting politics aside, it never really was a political thing – at least it never was for me,” Brady said. “It was just always something that was a privilege to be able to do because it really meant you won a championship and you got to experience something cool with your team and your teammates.”
It’s not exactly his place to criticize his teammates for pulling out of the trip, especially considering he’s done the same in the past. After all, some players truly want to spend the offseason with their families and friends.
“Everyone has their own choice,” Brady said. “It’s an offseason and these days are valuable for everybody. You only get so much time with your family and friends. If people don’t wanna go, they don’t wanna go, and that’s their choice.”
No date has been set for the Patriots’ visit to the White House, but it figures to happen sometime between late April and June.
This article originally appeared on Fox Sports.
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