When Tom Brady completed what is arguably considered his greatest Super Bowl victory, orchestrating a remarkable second-half comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51 with a 28-3 win, his primary concern was his jersey.
Amidst the flurry of media and family members flooding the field following the New England Patriots’ victory in overtime, Brady promptly handed his jersey to one of the equipment managers for safekeeping in his locker. However, upon making his way to the locker room to join his teammates in celebration, the jersey was mysteriously missing.
In the video footage from Inside Edition, between approximately the 38th and 50th seconds, Brady’s visible frustration is evident as he discovers that his jersey has been stolen. He even brought the issue to the attention of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who responded by suggesting, “Well, we’ll have to search for it online.”
Dylan Wagner emerged as the hero in this situation. Following the Patriots’ victory, Brady’s jersey, which was considered the most expensive piece of memorabilia with an initial valuation of $500,000, had gone missing.
This incident triggered an international investigation led by the FBI, as it wasn’t the first time Brady had experienced such a theft. Previously, after the Patriots’ win in Super Bowl 49 against the Seattle Seahawks, Brady reported that his jersey had also disappeared.
Here’s where Dylan Wagner comes to the rescue. Wagner, an enthusiastic sports memorabilia collector, played a pivotal role in solving the mystery. He had sold one of his jerseys to a Mexican reporter named Martin Ortega via eBay a month before the Super Bowl.
Following the sale, the two maintained communication, exchanging photos of their respective rare collectibles. Among the 30 photos shared by Ortega with Wagner was one featuring Brady’s Super Bowl 49 jersey, which, at that time, no one knew had been stolen.
Upon learning of reports about the theft of Brady’s game-worn jersey, Wagner promptly notified his friend, a Boston ATF special agent, about the potential whereabouts of the jersey and the individual who might have it. With the aid of the photos shared earlier, law enforcement obtained a search warrant, leading to the eventual discovery of both jerseys in Ortega’s basement.
In addition to the two Super Bowl jerseys belonging to Brady, Ortega also stole Von Miller’s Super Bowl 50 helmet. As a result of Wagner’s assistance in solving the investigation, the Patriots expressed their gratitude by presenting him with an autographed football by Brady in April of that same year.
However, Wagner’s contributions were further recognized when Kraft gifted him an autographed Tom Brady jersey, a pair of Nike Air Force 1 sneakers, and front-row seats to the Patriots’ first home game of the following season.
