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April 19 (UPI) -- Count Tom Brady among the ranks of New England Patriots players not attending the team's Super Bowl celebration Wednesday at the White House. The quarterback issued a statement Wednesday morning about his decision to skip the event for "personal family matters."
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"I am so happy and excited that our team is being honored at the White House today," Brady said in a statement to the NFL Network. "Our team has accomplished something very special that we are all proud of and will be for years to come. Thank you to the president for hosting this honorary celebration and for supporting our team for as long as I can remember. In light of some recent developments, I am unable to attend today's ceremony, as I am attending to some personal family matters. Hopefully, if we accomplish the goal of winning a championship in the future years, we will back on the South Lawn again soon. Have a great day!"
Several other Patriots stars, past and present, decided to skip the Super Bowl champion tradition for different reasons.
Devin McCourty, Chris Long, Martellus Bennett, LeGarrette Blount, Don't'a Hightower, and Alan Branch also won't attend the franchise's fifth trip to the White House.
On Friday, Green Stripe News posted a video on YouTube where Long and McCourty explained their reasons for not traveling to Washington, D.C. and visiting first-year President Donald Trump.
"I'm not going to the White House," McCourty wrote to Time. "Basic reason for me is I don't feel accepted in the White House. With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won't."
Brady also skipped the trip in 2015 when the team visited Barack Obama after it beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. He went to Washington, D.C. in 2001, 2003 and 2004 under President George W. Bush.
The Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in Super Bowl LI after trailing 28-3 with 2:12 left in the third quarter. Brady was named the MVP for the contest held on Feb. 5 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
