How Brady, Gisele and Welker felt about that infamous SB comment originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Gisele Bundchen being a supportive partner led to one of the most memorable quotes in Patriots Super Bowl history.
Late in New England's eventual Super Bowl XLVI loss to the New York Giants, wide receiver Wes Welker dropped a Tom Brady pass that could have helped the Patriots seal the victory.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
Welker's drop led to Bundchen's famous line, "My husband cannot f---ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time."
Patriots Talk Podcast: SI’s Jon Wertheim discusses why Tom Brady is Everyman | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
NBC Sports
In Episode 5 of the ESPN+ documentary "Man in the Arena," Bundchen, Brady and Welker all shared their reactions to how things went down.
Bundchen admitted she didn't realize the implications of her comments until Brady told her, "You can't say that."
"I thought I was mild on what I said," Bundchen said (h/t to Boston.com). "I mean, it’s true. How can he do everything?
"The next morning, when they made it about Wes, it broke my heart, because I was like, 'Are you kidding?' To me, that's like the hardest-working guy I know in that team."
Welker insisted he didn't take Gisele's comments personally.
"I know where her heart is, and I know who she is, so I almost agreed with her at the time," Welker said. "I was more mad at myself."
Brady ponders interesting 'what if?' from first Giants SB loss
Meanwhile, Brady tried to soften the blow of Welker's drop with some perspective. That play came on second down with four minutes remaining and the Patriots winning by two points, so New England had plenty more missed opportunities.
"That was a huge play in the game, but at the same time, there was a play to be made on third down too, and I didn’t do that one either," Brady said. " ... There was nobody who could define what being a great teammate was, what doing the right thing was, like Wes."
While fans remember Welker's Super Bowl drop, his legacy with the Patriots is still overwhelmingly positive. Welker is the franchise's all-time leader in receptions (672) and ranks third in receiving yards (7,459) after an incredibly productive six-year tenure in New England.
He amassed a career-high 1,569 receiving yards on 122 catches during that 2011 season, so it's safe to say the Patriots wouldn't have been in the Super Bowl without their No. 1 receiver.
