There are some things that you simply cannot remove from a person. For Tom Brady, that thing is his association with the New England Patriots due to the amount of success he had with Bill Belichick and the organization.

Things have definitely changed as he’s set to enter his 21st season in the NFL as a quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, he made it clear to everyone that he wouldn’t be the well-respected quarterback that he is now without Belichick’s guidance and the support of the Patriots organization.

As reported by Tim Reynolds, Belichick and the Pats will always have a special place in Brady’s heart:

It’s not hard to see why TB12 has such a high opinion of his former coach. They had a wonderful 20 years together, and the six Super Bowls they won is easily one of the most impressive accomplishments a coach-and-quarterback duo has ever done in the NFL.

Under Belichick’s tutelage, Brady grew into an incredible pocket passer with a rocket of an arm. He finished his 20 seasons with the Patriots with 74,571 passing yards, 541 touchdowns, and 11.7 yards per completion. They were a match made in heaven that gave the AFC a nightmare of an opponent to deal with.

The respect doesn’t only come from Brady, though. Belichick also showered his quarterback with the same amount of love as they part ways.

Via Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston:

“Tom and I will always have a great relationship built on love, admiration, respect and appreciation. Tom’s success as a player and his character as a person are exceptional. Nothing about the end of Tom’s Patriots career changes how unfathomably spectacular it was. With his relentless competitiveness and longevity, he earned everyone’s adoration and will be celebrated forever. It has been a privilege to coach Tom Brady for 20 years.”

Fans will be curious to see how these two parties would perform in their first season apart.