Brady excited to play 1st road game vs. childhood favorite 49ers

Believe it or not, Bay Area native and 17-year NFL veteran Tom Brady has never played his childhood team in his old backyard.

Growing up a San Francisco 49ers fan, the New England Patriots quarterback was looking forward to his first chance to play in front of his hometown crowd back in 2008, but his infamous ACL injury stopped that from happening.

"Last time we had the chance in 2008, I had everything arranged and set up before the season for my family and friends, and then I got hurt," Brady told media, according to the Patriots' website. "... It will be a lot of fun. I've got a lot of people coming to the game and it will just be a great environment."

Brady is planning to have more personal guests than ever at Sunday's contest against the Niners. He expects to have friends and coaches from high school and elementary school as well as aunts, uncles, cousins, and the rest of his family in attendance.

"I've never had a chance to play in front of my family like this. I've never had a chance to play in front of my friends," said Brady. "Growing up in the Bay Area and loving football, it was a great time for me to grow up and see the success of the 49ers and the great quarterbacks, Steve (Young) and Joe (Montana) and what they were able to do.

"I was lucky to grow up in the Bay Area at that time and I always remember it being all the Super Bowl rallies and my mom taking me out of school and banging pots and pans on the El Camino after they would win Super Bowls. Those memories never go away."