Christian Gonzalez isn’t the loudest guy in the Patriots locker room, but he’s found a way to make big statements on game days – even before his cleats hit the turf.
Gonzalez turned heads back in October when he walked into Gillette Stadium in a black T-shirt emblazoned with the late, great Bill Russell in all his Celtics glory. He proceeded to warm up on the field, white headphones on, two diamond necklace chains sitting above Number 6’s head.
It wasn’t long before fans noticed a pattern: the quiet cornerback showed up on another Sunday in a similar Bruins Bobby Orr shirt, then a David Ortiz shirt, and even one celebrating Dorchester native Donna Summer.
Sometimes, it’s easier for a guy to show how he feels about a place, rather than say it in front of a microphone.
“Boston’s such a cool sports city,” Gonzalez said, when asked about the trend. “Seeing the reactions when I was wearing the shirts, it’s pretty cool to tie in the Celtics, and have them reach out and share it.”
The Celtics’ social media team reposted the Patriots’ photos of Gonzalez in the Russell shirt on the same day, prompting Russell’s daughter, Karen, to comment, “love seeing my dad repped.”
So, where do the T-shirts come from?
Gonzalez isn’t the only athlete sporting these recognizable, retro-looking shirts in stadiums and at podiums. The man behind the designs is Bruce Thompson, a former college football player from New Orleans who started the apparel line Dreamathon. The distinctive shirts quickly caught on in popularity among the pros, thanks to clients like Odell Beckham Jr. and Tom Brady.
Thompson, who once tried out with the New Orleans Saints and attended workouts in the Canadian Football League himself, said he feels his clothing create a “brotherhood” among players.
His first collaboration with Gonzalez was a customized shirt in memory of the cornerback’s close friend, Keith Miller III, last year. After Miller’s passing in 2024, Gonzalez chose to support the KyleCares Foundation for mental health as part of the NFL’s ‘My Cause, My Cleats’ program. Gonzalez wore the shirt Dreamathon created for him in pregame warmups, and it was the start of a meaningful partnership between him and Thompson.
“They can wear Louis [Vuitton], they can wear Gucci. They have enough finances for all that. But he wants to wear something that means something to him,” Thompson said, who called Gonzalez a “one of one” and a “dreamer.”
The two decided on a specific direction for what would turn into a fairy tale 2025 season for the Patriots.
“We got together this off season and had a plan of reppin’ Boston – all the Boston legends,” Gonzalez said.
So, each week, they’d look over a few different choices and try to pick a T-shirt to create a pregame moment to get local fans extra excited.
In a way, Thompson said, it’s a matter of game-recognizes-game, while “dreaming” of a time when a future Pro Bowler may wear a Christian Gonzalez T-shirt pregame.
“He’s expressing, not just the gratitude, but, ‘I’m the next one up, too. These are the people I look up to, this is the standard, and where I want to be at.’ It’s not arrogant, it’s paying homage to the ones who came before you,” Thompson said.
Is there anything up Thompson’s sleeve, now that the regular season has wrapped?
“We might cook something up for the playoffs,” Gonzalez said, with a smile.