As local sports card dealer Kevin Randall prepared for Fanatics Fest in New York City, he made sure to bring along some of his best Tom Brady cards.
“We had this running joke,” Randall said. “You know, we heard that Brady might be there. Wouldn’t it be great if he came by?”
This joke became reality, as the GOAT himself not only stopped by Randall’s booth, but also took the time to talk to the Central Massachusetts collector about baseball cards, the previous night’s preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles, and even the history of Brady’s autograph.
In addition, the exchange was caught on camera, immortalizing Randall’s near-success.
The video has now gone viral and Brady himself shared it on his Instagram story.
“Just this morning my phone rang,” Randall said. “I guess Brady shared it on his social media and I was just there.”
The former teacher and current head coach of the boys basketball team at Burrillville High School in Rhode Island has been collecting cards since he was 5 years old. He said he remembers his parents taking him to the card store on a Friday afternoon to let him buy a pack or two, a tradition he now continues with his own son, Grayson.
Although he continues to serve as the head basketball coach at Burrillville, he quit his job as a teacher a few years ago to focus on ticket sales full-time.
“I always tried to buy the right people, like Brady,” he explained. “I was known as ‘The Brady Guy’ even before I met Brady in person.”
Randall has spent a lot of time building his brand, DaCaptain37, which happens to be his old AOL username from his college days. He gives special thanks to his wife, Melissa Randall, for helping him build a social media presence and supporting his dreams.
In his collection, Randall has several rare and valuable Brady cards, including a Tom Brady 2000 Fleer Showcase Rookie and a Tom Brady 2002 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor.
“It’s really heartbreaking sometimes. You know, making the decision of what to keep for the long term and what to sell to pay the bills,” he said, describing his business as a “college fund” for his two children.
For Randall, meeting Brady was a highlight of his career so far. He described the former Patriots quarterback as sincere and authentic.
“First he introduced himself — like Tom Brady would ever have to introduce himself,” Randall said with a chuckle. “Then he said, ‘What did you get me today?’ He stayed and talked to us for about 10 minutes. He talked about how he collected baseball cards as a kid, we talked about Drake Maye and the preseason game against the Eagles, and then he even revealed a secret about his autograph.
“In his freshman year, Brady said he modeled his autograph after his father’s signature, but that changed over time as he made it his own,” Randall explained. “Then he told me he even tried putting a number ’12’ in the ‘B’ of his last name. And believe me when I say once you see it, you can’t forget the 12.”
“Wow. You have a great collection here,” Brady can be heard saying in the now-viral video, visibly impressed by Randall’s collection. Brady walked away from Randall’s booth with several cards, including one signed by Brady and Joe Montana, as well as others signed by quarterbacks Drake Maye, Anthony Richardson and Caleb Williams.
Randall, who could forever go down in history as “the Tom Brady guy,” has an incredibly busy trading season ahead of him. He is scheduled to attend several shows, including the Causeway Card Show at TD Garden in September. For more information on Randall and his card catalog, check out his Instagram and Flickr.
