His fans are eager to talk about his class off the field, excited to examine his 20-year career on the field and determined to declare that no one – no one –loved Tom Brady more than they did.

Actually, we should use the word ‘love,’ because the years will pass, but Brady’s worth here, the respect he garnered, the influence he had on fans, both young and old, is immeasurable and will remain that way forever.

He retired after last season. He’s known as the GOAT – the greatest of all time – in most corners of the United States, and he’ll be honored Sunday at Gillette Stadium in the Patriots’ season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

It will be the NFL’s No. 1 story this weekend, paying tribute to the quarterback whose leadership skills rivaled those of General Patton.

“No matter who you speak to, no one will be a bigger fan,” said former University of New Hampshire wide receiver Brian Espanet, who now does radio color commentary for the Wildcats. “I followed him religiously and so I was really pumped for this project.”

The project is contacting former and current Granite State college football players and asking for their thoughts on Brady.

Once, Patriots fans took Super Bowl championships and appearances for granted, winning six and competing in nine of them during Brady’s 20 years here. Basically, the Pats played in the Super Bowl every other year for two decades.

The NFL prides itself on parity, using policies like a salary cap to maintain a level playing field. That had no effect on the Patriots.

But, as fans like Espanet, who’s 25, grew older, they learned that those years were special, and even winning one may not happen again for a very long time.

Brady transformed a once-mediocre franchise into the greatest dynasty in NFL history. He elevated the Patriots above all other Boston teams in terms of popularity, and that’s saying a lot when the Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins are part of this sports landscape.

The new quarterback is Mac Jones, entering his third season. Has there ever been more pressure on a football player in league history? Sports history?

“I started playing football at 12 and I felt Tom Brady would play forever and we would win the Super Bowl each year,” Espanet said. “The importance he has had on my life, and not only as a player, not only as the greatest ever, was significant. The way he treated family and friends was more than football. He was the perfect person in my eyes, and I’ve carried that with me my whole life.”

Espanet’s final season was 2022. He was a leader at UNH, picked by his teammates to be one of four captains. He was often a go-to guy for the media, mature and articulate and, at age 24, older than his teammates and a good quote.

He followed Brady’s lead.

“I tried to emulate him,” Espanet said. “He meant everything to me. He sparked my love for football.”

Logan Beliveau of Weare, a junior linebacker at Saint Anselm’s College, echoed many of the Espanet’s thoughts. He saw Brady as a role model as well, especially the manner in which Brady took the underdog role at the start of his career and turned it upside down.

Brady was skinny, too fragile to absorb the hits that he’d endure from defenders. He was a sixth-round draft pick, the 199th player selected in 2000, and players chosen that late rarely play in the NFL.

And they certainly are not enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame. That’s just a matter of time for Brady.

“He was a role model in the sense that he was a sixth-round draft pick,” said Beliveau, who graduated from John Stark Regional High School. ” He stayed ready so he did not have to get ready. He’s not the fastest or has the strongest arm, but he looked like he was playing a game of chess.”

Beliveau continued: “In interviews, he showed he was a class act. But when he ran onto the field, he said, ‘Let’s fg go.’ I loved that, and he always gave credit to his teammates and he was always humble.”

Brady’s finest moment, most agree, occurred on Feb. 6, 2017, when the Patriots erased the Falcons’ 28-3 lead late in the third quarter and won their fifth Super Bowl.

Never before had something that dramatic happened in NFL history. Maybe even sports history.

“A lot of good Super Bowl memories, but that was, hands down, the best NFL game ever,” said Ryan Toscano of Bedford, a junior linebacker at UNH. “That was the greatest comeback ever. I remember how upset we were (at 28-3). I’ll remember that night for the rest of my life.”

And as though his legacy wasn’t complete, Brady left New England three years ago – under circumstances that will never be fully known – and won his seventh Super Bowl quarterbacking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

At age 43.

“I was still happy for him,” Espanet said.

That’s what Sunday is for. Remembering the ageless quarterback who was slow yet shuffled his feet enough to avoid the pass rush. The quarterback who didn’t have the strongest arm in the NFL, yet is the all-time leader in touchdown passes and passing yards and Super Bowl titles.

Details of the plan to honor Brady on Sunday have been guarded like cash at Fort Knox. Maybe a statue of him, or a street named after him. His number 12 will certainly never be worn by another Patriots player, ever.

Patriots fans old enough have all six Super Bowl titles, accomplished over two decades, stored away forever. Their last one was in 2019, the year before Brady left.

Espanet saw five of them. He was too young to recall the first one.

“My mom tucked us into bed,” Espanet said. “She came in and woke my brother up because he was older than me. That was 20 years ago and it still haunts me. I’m still mad at her.”

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