NFL star Tom Brady almost in tears as he reveals his hero, says he has been warned about Atlanta Falcons

NFL star Tom Brady got emotional when a seven-year-old boy asked him, who was his real hero? The New England Patriots quarterback was almost in tears as he revealed that it was his father.

"I think my dad is my hero because he's someone I look up to every day," the quarterback said ahead of Sunday night's (5 February) Super Bowl between New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. The event will air from the NRG stadium in Houston, Texas.

When asked whether Brady Sr took up for him, the 39-year-old said, "I'd say my dad represents his feelings. Because he's a dad, and I'm a dad. So, yeah."

In end-January, Brady's father had said that National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell's actions regarding the "deflategate" accusations were "beyond reprehensible" as it led to his son receiving a four-game suspension for his alleged involvement in deflating footballs in 2016.

"Tommy never got suspended for deflating footballs... He got suspended because the court said that he could, Roger Goodell could do anything he wanted to do to any player for any reason whatsoever. That's what happened. The NFL admitted they had no evidence on him ... For what the league did to him and what Roger Goodell constantly lied about is beyond reprehensible as far as I'm concerned," Tom's father told KRON-TV.

Meanwhile, four-time champion quarterback said that his three children – Jack, 9, Benjamin, 7, and Vivian, 4 – have warned him about the Atlanta Falcons.

"They probably get most of it from their friends, not necessarily dad," Tom said. "When they're with me they don't want to talk about too much football, other than to say, 'Dad, the Atlanta Falcons are really good—they are a really good team. I don't know if you could beat them'," he noted.