White House: Tom Brady a ‘role model’

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said he expects New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to be aware of his role-model status as he deals with the fallout from “Deflategate.” 

{mosads}“As he confronts this particular situation, he will be mindful of the way he serves as a role model” for children, Earnest told reporters on Tuesday.  

Earnest noted that “people around the world,” especially boys, look up to Brady as a positive example on and off the football field. 

The NFL suspended Brady for four games, stripped the Patriots of draft picks and fined the club for the incident, in which the team was found to have used deflated balls to gain a competitive advantage in last season’s playoffs. 

Earnest said he has not spoken to President Obama about “Deflategate” or about Brady’s decision not to attend the Patriots’ Super Bowl celebration at the White House last month.