Brady's dad says QB 'stressed out' during parents' COVID-19 battle in 2020

Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady began his Buccaneers tenure "stressed out" as his parents battled COVID-19, his father, Tom Brady Sr., told ESPN Radio's Mike Greenberg in an interview Monday.

Brady's dad said he was hospitalized for three weeks at one point last year, adding that both he and his wife, Galynn, felt "sick as a dog." The couple, both 76 years old, missed Brady's first two contests with the Bucs as a result, the first time either parent had missed a game in their son's career.

"We've never missed a game at Michigan or New England or wherever," Brady's dad said. "For the first two games when I was in the hospital, I didn't even care if they were playing - much less missing the game. It was a matter of life and death, just like anybody who goes to the hospital. That's serious stuff."

Brady's dad said Galynn, a breast cancer survivor, was cared for at home by their daughter.

Brady apparently FaceTimed his father on his way to and from practice every day as he tried to balance his responsibilities as a football player with the concern for his parents.

"Tommy fought through it, and so now it's in the rearview mirror," Brady's dad said. "We're healthy, we're happy, and everything is good."

Brady will look to capture his seventh title in 10 Super Bowl appearances Feb. 7 with the Bucs taking on the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs.