In 2020, the NFL world was shaken up when then-free-agent quarterback Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady had dominated the league with the New England Patriots for close to 20 years, winning six Super Bowls with the franchise alongside coach Bill Belichick.
Soon after signing Brady, Tampa Bay sought to protect its new quarterback. They decided to add to their offensive line and made a point of doing so in the NFL Draft. That year, they selected standout Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs with the 13th overall pick.
Wirfs and Brady had an extremely successful time in central Florida. The duo helped lead the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl championship during the 2020 season. They continued to play at a high level together until Brady retired following the 2022 NFL season.
Buccaneers’ Tristan Wirfs Recalls Hilarious First Meeting With Tom Brady
Wirfs recently sat down with “The Pivot Podcast” to discuss his first meeting with Brady. He mentioned how surreal the moment was. He even called his mom right after he met the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
“I remember the first time I met him,” he said in a video clip shared by the Buccaneers on social media. “When you meet somebody like that, I thought he was like seven feet tall. A 21-year-old kid and I’m like, ‘This is f*****g Tom Brady.’ I called my mom right after that and was like, ‘Mom, I just met Tom Brady.'”
.@TristanWirfs78 had to call his mom when he met @TomBrady for the first time 😂
🎥: @thepivot pic.twitter.com/2Hi2kIga3Z
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 18, 2025
The Buccaneers offensive tackle had high praise for Brady as a person. Wirfs spoke of some of his interactions with the quarterback and mentioned a side of the legendary signal-caller that many people don’t get to see.
“Everyone sees the competitor he is, the player on Sundays. But I mean … he tells dad jokes. … He asked me, ‘How old are you, Tristan? … Because he was 22 years older than me. And I was like ‘You were born a year or two after my mom, Tom.’ He’s like, ‘Shut up dude. Don’t tell me that!'” Wirfs said. “Tom’s an all-time guy. I love him to death.”
Brady spent three seasons in central Florida with the Buccaneers. He started 50 games, throwing 108 touchdowns and 33 interceptions during that time. As mentioned, he won a Super Bowl with Tampa and made the playoffs on two other occasions. Brady initially retired following the 2021 season before returning and retiring for good after 2022.
Wirfs, meanwhile, is a standout tackle for the Buccaneers. He has made the playoffs in every season of his NFL career to this point. The Iowa product is a four-time Pro Bowler and was named to the AP All-Pro First Team in 2021 and 2024.
Wirfs certainly lived out a lot of people’s dreams by simply making the NFL. Making the NFL and playing with an all-time great of Brady’s caliber is quite the cherry on top. Many have heard the phrase “never meet your heroes” at some point in their lives. For Wirfs, meeting a football hero delivered him a Super Bowl championship.