Tom Brady turned a $30,000 cleats auction into support for organ transplant patients in memory of his late mentor(Image via Getty Images)
The story came to light in a May 10, 2019 report by KTVU. Paul Dooley, the organisation’s CEO, told KTVU in its May 10, 2019 report that Brady’s involvement brought hundreds of potential donors. It revealed how Brady continued supporting MatchingDonors.com years after losing the man who helped shape his career.
“Without Tom Martinez there would be no Tom Brady in the NFL,” Tom Brady Sr. told KTVU. “He never said no to us. He never said no to the Martinez family. He offered without asking,” Dooley told KTVU.
His efforts also gave the Tom Martinez Goal Line Foundation a way to carry that work forward. Seventeen people matched Martinez. Those efforts supported the Tom Martinez Goal Line Foundation, which works to raise awareness about organ donation and support MatchingDonors.com.
Even after Martinez died in 2012, Brady continued helping the cause through memorabilia auctions and fundraising, keeping a promise that began during one of his coach’s toughest battles.
The quarterback continued auctioning memorabilia and raising money in his mentor’s memory, according to KTVU. Tom Brady built his NFL career around winning championships, but one of his most personal commitments had little to do with football. The former New England Patriots quarterback quietly supported organ transplant patients through a charity connected to his late mentor, Tom Martinez. The coach had played an important role in Brady’s development long before he became an NFL star. Martinez worked with him on his quarterback technique, and the two stayed in regular contact. Brady often turned to him whenever he needed help with his game. Martinez’s death did not end Brady’s involvement with organ donation.