"Greatest day of my life": Tom Brady once gave Ben Affleck the ultimate fanboy moment, and he still can’t stop talking about it

Ben Affleck may be known for his powerful screen presence and directorial finesse, but he recently revealed a hidden highlight in his life that had nothing to do with Hollywood. In a recent episode of New Heights, the popular podcast hosted by NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce, the Oscar-winning actor opened up about what he considers one of the most unforgettable experiences of his life—catching a pass from none other than NFL legend Tom Brady.

While promoting his upcoming film The Accountant 2, Ben Affleck took a delightful detour down memory lane, recalling the surreal moment when he found himself running routes with the seven-time Super Bowl champion. For a man who bleeds Boston and has been a diehard New England Patriots fan all his life, the opportunity to play catch with Brady was nothing short of a dream come true.
“Aside from the births of my children,” Affleck admitted, “that was the greatest day of my life.” That statement alone paints the picture of how deeply personal and thrilling the encounter was for him. The actor shares three children—Violet Anne, Seraphina Rose, and Samuel—with his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, but this moment with Brady still found a spot just below those cherished milestones.

The spontaneous event took place while both were vacationing at the same location. Affleck explained that Brady, in need of someone to throw the ball to, invited him to join a casual game of catch. But the football icon wasn’t just tossing soft lobs. As Affleck jokingly recalled, “I think he was like, ‘I'm gonna f-----g blow this dude’s mind, Imma call him up.’”
Brady, ever the showman, upped the stakes for the Hollywood star. “It's the Super Bowl. Fourth quarter. We have 23 seconds. It's 4th & 18,” the quarterback instructed. “Just run straight. Don’t turn around. I’m gonna get you the ball in the endzone.” What followed was a scene that could’ve been straight out of a sports movie: Affleck sprinting (in what he believed was full throttle), not looking back, trusting entirely that Brady’s pass would find him.
“I'm sure to him it looked like, ‘I've never seen somebody run in slow motion before.’ But to me, I was going as fast as you can go,” Affleck said, drawing laughter from the Kelce brothers.
When the ball finally arrived, Affleck had to go full extension. “I f------ catch the ball,” he exclaimed proudly. It wasn’t just about the physical feat—it was the emotional euphoria. “It was incredible. I called everybody I knew,” he added, still in awe of the moment.
Jason Kelce likened it to a “Sandlot moment,” referencing the classic coming-of-age baseball film. Affleck couldn’t have agreed more. “It was like the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, and I lived a full life of dreams.”
Despite not knowing the technical names of the routes he was running—“I'm sure I disgraced every receiver that’s ever run around,” he laughed—the experience resonated deeply. Brady even joked about adjusting the throws, noting Affleck’s worry about taking a football to the nose. The intensity and precision of the game may have been casual for Brady, but it created a memory of a lifetime for Affleck.
This isn’t the first time the Good Will Hunting star has praised the former Patriots QB. Back in 2020, while speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, Affleck called Brady “a prince and a really sweet man, and the greatest football player that ever lived.”
In a career filled with accolades, red carpet moments, and cinematic triumphs, it’s telling that one of Ben Affleck’s proudest memories involved a football, a stretch of beach, and the GOAT tossing him a pass that made him feel like a champion.
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