Tom Brady left his imprint all over the New England Patriots’ record books during his stellar two-decade run with the team. And now, he has become the first player in franchise history to be honored with a statue.

Fans gathered at Gillette Stadium Friday to watch as the 12-foot bronze likeness of the quarterback was unveiled.

“Right now, I feel extremely honored, deeply grateful, and if I’m being honest, kind of old,” Brady said after the cover was taken off the statue. “I’m also a little surprised, cause usually, they don’t build statues until you’re really old — like [Mike] Vrabel and [Tedy] Bruschi.”

Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced the statue during a star-studded Patriots Hall of Fame induction last June, at which Brady’s No. 12 was also retired by the team, commissioning the work from a local sculptor.

“I want to thank you all for being here this evening as we honor and immortalize the legendary career of a sports icon, the greatest NFL player of all time, Tom Brady,” Kraft said at Friday’s ceremony.

“It’s not every day you get a statue — at least not one like this,” Brady said. “Seeing myself as a statue isn’t something I could have imagined growing up. When I was drafted, I just hoped to make the team. I never dreamed I’d be standing here, two-and-a-half decades later, made of bronze and frozen in time. It actually feels pretty appropriate, given my 40-yard dash time.”

Ahead of the Patriots’ first game of the preseason, a 12-foot bronze statue of Tom Brady will be unveiled.

What are fans saying?

Patriots fans who were at the ceremony Friday had a lot to say about the statue.

“It’s my idol, it’s my favorite player of all time,” said Patriots fan Brian Gourge. “And I had to be here and witness greatness.”

“The statue looks amazing,” said Patriots fan Carrie Roskott. “I wouldn’t have expected anything less, I’m glad it’s 12 feet tall — No. 12 forever.”

“I did expect he’d be a little more leaned back and physically throwing the ball,” said Patriots fan Meghan Smyth. “I do really like it.”

“I think it looks just like Tom and I wanted to be here because he brought so much to New England,” said Patriots fan Matthew Petit.

The sculptor says the pose is meant to embody Brady’s victories, not one particular pass, play, or game.

“The Patriots, especially, did not want to have this monument represent any one moment in time,” said sculptor Jeff Buccacio. “They were very clear they wanted it to represent the legacy of Tom Brady over 20 years.”

And he says he got a thumbs up from Brady when it was unveiled.

“He said it looks really good, it looked really good,” Buccacio said.

NBC10 Boston also caught up with some fans Thursday who were at the stadium when the statue was delivered to Foxborough, Massachusetts, arriving in a black box and covered by a black tarp.

“He was everything. He was the best quarterback ever,” one man said.

“He’s the GOAT. I mean, no one did it better,” another fan said. “He worked hard so I try to have my kids emulate that. You work hard and good things happen.”

Tanner Dikan, who attended Fanatics Fest through Make-A-Wish, got to play with a legend Friday.

“I think it’s just the cement you know that what he did for the organization, and it’s something that’s gonna live on forever,” a third Pats fan told us.

The statue unveiling was just the latest salute to the player whose jersey still dots the stands at Gillette Stadium five-plus years after he played his final game for New England in 2019.

Drafted 199th overall in 2000, Brady rose to become the face of the Patriots dynasty as he led the team to six Super Bowl titles and 17 division championships in 18 seasons as a starter. He would go on to win another Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021.

Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tom Brady won’t be getting roasted any time soon. The former NFL quarterback recently admitted that he has some regrets about his Netflix special.