When Tom Brady walked onto the stage at the Tampa Theatre on Tuesday night for the "Raise the Flags" premiere event, the crowd was reminded why the Bucs' 50th season celebration wouldn't be complete without the G.O.A.T.

The event was a beautiful way to blend the past with the present. A mix of iconic players, coaches, and executives attended to discuss the journey and the ups and downs to get to where the team is today.

A journey that includes Brady.

Even though the legendary quarterback only played in Tampa Bay for three seasons, his time leading the team will forever be remembered and immortalized after winning the Super Bowl in 2020 – and the boat parade that came with it. Brady reflected on that team as well as what it took to elevate the players around him.

Tom Brady Knew The 2020 Bucs Were "The Real Deal"

It did not take long for Tom Brady to turn the Bucs around upon his arrival via free agency in 2020.

Immediately, it raised the team's expectations as high as they have ever been. Possessing a strong defense, and with Brady helping to bring tight end Rob Gronkowski out of retirement and recruit running back Leonard Fournette and wide receiver Antonio Brown, the offense was just as loaded.

Bucs WR Mike Evans and former QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

What got the team over the hump was not just talent, but through TB12 demanding greatness. As Brady put it when talking to former left guard Ali Marpet and team reporter Casey Phillips, he fired up the guys around him in an over-the-top way.

"Emotions are great, and they can get you in the right frame of mind," Brady said.

Even if that meant letting Marpet have it during the team's 2021 game against the Jets when Tampa Bay had to claw its way back to win after Brown infamously took off his jersey and gave the team the "peace out." That was one moment that the Raise the Flags documentary captured, and it perfectly embodied Brady's leadership style and why it took tough love and scolding to push the right buttons.

In his eyes, he knew his former teammates could take it in stride and he appreciated how authentic they were as players and men.

"You've got to lay it on the line for your teammates," Brady said. "There's something really pure about the NFL and the athletes that play. There's no faking it. When you're in that locker room, the meeting room, and on the field, you know who the phonies are. You don't ever want to be involved with those guys. When I'm sitting next to Chris [Godwin], Mike [Evans], Ali [Marpet], Ryan [Jensen], Gronk [Rob Gronkowski], Cam Brate, those guys aren't phonies. They are the real deal. They are men. They show up every day with a purpose and an attitude to be the best they can be."

Tom Brady On Rob Gronkowski: "He Was The Ultimate Teammate"

Among the players who were vital to the Bucs' 2020 Super Bowl win was Rob Gronkowski. After spending the 2019 season retired and away from the game, Gronkowski answered when Tom Brady came calling to once again form the quarterback-tight end duo that helped the Patriots dominate the NFL in the 2010s.

Former Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Brady went back to the beginning when asked about the person – and personality – that "Gronk" is.

"There's only one Rob Gronkowski [laughs]," Brady said. "He is truly one-of-one, and I got to see it from a young player who had big dreams of getting to the NFL and making a name for himself. To see how he developed and to go from this 21-year-old kid when we drafted him. At 21, you get to start drinking. He didn't do that at Arizona at all when he was 17, trust me."

That last claim needs further verification, but what does not need verifying is Gronkowski's true love and passion for football. While funny and entertaining off the field, he was as dedicated as they came when the pads were on.

"I got to see him mature from a 21-year-old to ultimately coming here and putting together what I thought was one of the best seasons that he ever had in his career," Brady added. "What you don't understand about Gronk is it seems like he's kind of aloof and he's fun, but the reality is he's deadly serious out there on the field, too. For as great as he is catching passes, and we all love that about him, there was nobody that loved dominating on the line of scrimmage [more] in terms of blocking and doing all the unselfish things that Gronk did.

Former Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski and QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

Gronkowski was the one of the best, and most unique, teammates Brady could have ever asked for.

"He was the ultimate teammate. I was fortunate to play with some incredible ones, but there was nobody like him. To see him catch two touchdowns in that [Super Bowl], some of those really fun play designs that we had where he was featured. To see him after the game, I remember him, he was like, "TWO TUDDIES!" We're going to celebrate that for the rest of our lives."

Reliving The Iconic Boat Parade Through Tom Brady's Eyes

Maybe February 10th, 2021, is a day that you remember.

If you don't, that's okay, because Tom Brady doesn't really either.

Former Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

Of course, that is when the Bucs hosted their boat parade to celebrate the team's Super Bowl win on the Hillsborough River. In one of the greatest scenes in the city of Tampa's history, everyone came together to take part in the festivities. After days of celebrating, it culminated in the most memorable way.

"Talk about epic," Brady said, remembering what he could from that day. "Even when I still see the photos of that boat parade, it looked like a boat show. It was so many boats, and how one didn't hit one another. I was used to 25 degrees and snow for the times previous to that… It was 80 degrees, we're in shorts. We were on our third night of celebration at that point.

"It just kind of carried over from the night before. We had about 30 minutes to kill before it got started. When you don't have much to do on a boat and you got a lot of alcohol, there's only one thing to do. My kids have probably never seen me that 'under the weather.' It was well worth the headache that I had for a solid 36 hours."

His consumption of about "eight shots of Avocado Tequila" led to one of the best impromptu moments in Bucs history – the Lombardi Trophy toss.

Despite throwing 12,050 regular season passes and another 1,921 in the playoffs, that throw was the riskiest of Brady's storied career.

"Absolutely the most dangerous pass of my career. I've thrown into triple coverage. The thought seemed like, 'No, I won't do that.' An hour in, they kept going, 'Tommy, throw it, throw it!' At some point, it sounded like a good idea… it ended up being a great completion that day."

Closing out a night of remembering his final three years in the NFL, Tom Brady did so the only way he could:

By letting out one last "LFG" with the crowd.