Tom Brady spotted at closed Tampa park, asked to leave
TAMPA (UPI) — New Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was spotted working out at a park in downtown Tampa, Fla., before he was asked to leave because of coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told reporters about the interaction during a news briefing Monday with St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman. A city employee said she spotted a man at the local park before she realized he was the six-time Super Bowl champion.
Brady left the park after being approached by the employee. A representative of the mayor’s office said Brady was not cited for the incident.
“Our parks are closed down, so a lot of our parks staff, they patrol around just to make sure people aren’t in there with contact sports and things,” Castor said. “She [the city employee] went over to tell him that it was closed, and it was Tom Brady.”
Florida is under a stay-at-home order due to the pandemic.
The NFL off-season program was scheduled to begin this week, but teams are not allowed to report to their facilities due to the pandemic. Several teams have started virtual off-season programs while players work out on their own.
“Sorry Tom Brady! Our Tampa parks and recreation team can’t wait to welcome you and our entire community back with even bigger smiles — until then, stay safe and stay home as much as you can to help flatten the curve,” the City of Tampa tweeted.
Brady is renting a Tampa area home from former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter. He signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Buccaneers in March.
Reporting by Alex Butler
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