Tedy Bruschi
| refer to caption Tedy Bruschi (right) at the White House. | |
| New England Patriots | |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| College: | Arizona |
| NFL draft: | 1996 / Round: 3 / Pick: 86 |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Tedy Lacap Bruschi (Template:PronEng) (born June 9, 1973 in San Francisco, California) is an American football linebacker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. A 12-year veteran of the NFL, Bruschi has played his entire career with the Patriots.
High school years
Bruschi attended Roseville High School in Roseville, California, and was a student and a letterman in football, wrestling, and track & field. In football, he was twice named an All-Conference selection, an All-Metro selection, and an All-Northern California honoree.
College years
He played college football at the University of Arizona as a defensive tackle, where he tied the NCAA Division I-A sack record with 52 quarterback sacks. He was a member of the aptly named "Desert Swarm" defense with their hard-nosed tactics coached by Duane Akina.
National Football League years
He was taken by the Patriots in the 3rd round (86th overall) of the 1996 NFL draft. As of 2006, he has 829 tackles, 27 sacks, and 11 interceptions, 4 of which have gone for touchdowns. The touchdowns came on 4 consecutive interceptions, setting an NFL record. Bruschi had six tackles, a sack and an interception of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb to help the Patriots cement a 24-21 win in Super Bowl XXXIX, their third title in four years. He played in his only Pro Bowl the next week.
A few days later, on February 16, 2005, Bruschi was taken to a hospital with symptoms including temporary numbness, blurred vision and headaches. Bruschi suffered a mild stroke. He suffered from a PFO (Patent Foramen Ovale) which is a congenital heart defect. Bruschi suffered from partial paralysis and was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital. After several months of rehabilitation working with Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Bruschi announced that he would sit out the 2005 NFL season.[1]
On October 16, 2005, it was announced that Bruschi had been medically cleared to resume playing football and he rejoined the team on the practice field three days later. The Patriots officially activated him on October 29, and he played the following night against the Buffalo Bills. ESPN broadcast this game and had several features on Bruschi's return. Many interviews about Bruschi were shown, some during key plays in the game. Following the game, Bruschi was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Bruschi played in all but the final game against Miami and was ready to suit up for the first playoff game against Jacksonville. He was named the 2005 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, an honor he shared with Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith.
Personal life
Bruschi is of Filipino and Italian descent. He is an accomplished saxophonist and has played with the Boston Pops.[2] Bruschi resides in North Attleboro, MA with his wife, Heidi, and their three sons Tedy Jr., Rex and Dante.
In 2007 Bruschi wrote a book about his experience with his stroke and his recovery, entitled Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery, and My Return to the NFL. In his memoir, Bruschi speaks with candor about how his family confronted the reality of his life-threatening affliction, of his initial plans to retire from the NFL, and of the moment he told his wife he was ready to return to football, earning him a share of the Comeback Player of the Year Award and full ownership of the prestigious Ed Block Courage Award. His book was published by John Wiley & Sons in August 2007.
External links
- New England Patriots Bio Page
- Current Stats
- Tedy Bruschi at ESPN.com
- Tedy Bruschi's NFL Statistics
- Tedy's Team - Raising Awareness. Fighting Stroke.
Notes and references
- ^ Bruschi to sit out 2005 Patriots.com. Accessed 25 June 2007.
- ^ Pats' Bruschi leaves hospital The Providence Journal. Accessed 24 July 2007.