Brady reflects on 49ers love-turned-hate ahead of homecoming

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Tom Brady is a Bay Area native through and through.

But just because Brady grew up rooting for the 49ers from the Candlestick Park stands doesn’t mean he’s a fan for life.

Plenty has happened since then, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback reflected on his journey from being part of the 49ers Faithful to now “hating” the team as he prepares to face them Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

“We'd sit up there in the nosebleeds. We had four tickets -- my mom and dad would go, I would usually go, and then one of my sisters would go,” Brady said Thursday of Candlestick, where he fell in love with football. “I was lucky to grow up in the Bay Area at that time. It was just a great time. There were so many great players, it was a great era of football and I loved the 49ers.”

Brady, who grew up in San Mateo, remained a loyal 49ers fan through college, he said -- then came the 2000 NFL Draft. He wasn’t selected by San Francisco, and that’s when the love stopped.

“I loved them through college, and then when they skipped over me six times [in the draft] I started hating the 49ers, and that's just the way it went down,” Brady said.

Of course, Brady has gone on to make history as a 15-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time Super Bowl MVP with seven championship rings to his name.

Now, for just the second time in his NFL career, Brady will return to the Bay and face his former favorite team. The first time he did so was against Chip Kelly’s 49ers in 2016, also at Levi’s, when the New England Patriots defeated San Francisco 30-17 on a rainy day.

“We had a really good football team, and I had a lot of friends and family in the crowd,” Brady reminisced. “I ran out for pregame warmup, and I remember Chip Kelly coming over, and he was like, ‘Damn, it’s a home game for you.’

“And it really was.”

Even though Brady never played at Candlestick, it’s clear he still holds the memories he made there close despite his disdain for the 49ers. He made it a point to remind reporters that he’s no longer a fan of the team on more than one occasion Thursday.

He’ll have plenty of family, friends and even old neighbors in attendance Sunday, he said, cheering him on as he takes on the NFL's top defense.

“I was just a kid growing up like all of us were, trying to have some fun,” Brady said. “And here I am many years later going back. I'm going to try to go home and give people what they want, so that's what we'll try to do."

RELATED: Shanahan on Brady: ‘What the hell was anyone ever thinking?’

It’s safe to say a majority of the Levi’s crowd will be hungry for a 49ers win, as San Francisco looks to keep its current five-game winning streak alive. But while the fans are at it, they’ll have an opportunity to watch the GOAT.

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