Whenever someone mentions Tom Brady's name, the immediate thought is he's the greatest quarterback ever.
But for those in his inner circle, like Logan Ryan's wife Ashley, Brady is much more than that.
Brady and Logan Ryan spent four seasons with the New England Patriots before reuniting this season in Tampa Bay, and their two families grew close.
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Ashley Ryan took to Instagram to let her followers know what Brady was like off the field.
"I guess I’ll chime in with my Tom Brady story ... but it’s not the one about 7 Super Bowls or being down 28-3 or his last pass as a Patriot. We all know those," she wrote.
Ryan said that Brady volunteered at an animal shelter with his kids "throughout an entire football season," where he was able to spend quality time with his family.
"It’s the one about the dad who volunteered at the animal shelter with his kids throughout an entire football season. The one where he bonded with his kids over naming puppies and bottle feeding kittens," she added. "The one where he silently showed up every other week to make a difference for his family and his community. The one where 2 dads just got to be dads and beamed with pride every time their kids said ‘Please can we just stay a little bit longer?!’ The one where two little girls built a friendship around their love of tiny baby kittens and did their part in making the world a better place for animals."
Ryan added that Brady did not volunteer for publicity. He just wanted to.
"It wasn’t about publicity, fundraising or recognition. It was about being a human being. It was about Tom taking the very thing his little girl loves the most and turning it into an opportunity to spend time together. It was about Tom reaching out to his friend, asking how to get involved, helping his community by giving something far more meaningful than money... his time.
"Greatest QB of all time, no doubt. But I’m humbled most by the person you are off the field, TB! Congrats!"
Brady announced his retirement "for good" Wednesday morning. It's his second retirement, but this time it seems permanent.
He retires with seven Super Bowl championships — six with the Pats, one with the Buccaneers.
