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Tedy Bruschi News & Rumors

Bruschi has numerical plan
December 2
Boston Globe
 
"As if Monday night's matchup between the Patriots and Jets weren't exciting enough for New England fans, the team will honor former linebacker Tedy Bruschi at halftime. Though it is certain that Bruschi will be a member of the Patriots Hall of Fame in a few years and he is very proud that he spent his entire 13-year career with one organization, he doesn't believe his No. 54 should be retired. "To say that no player can ever wear No. 54 for the New England Patriots again, that's sort of selfish,'' Bruschi said yesterday via conference call. "I think that other players deserve to know and realize what has gone on in the organization. I remember before Super Bowl [XLII] when Andre Tippett"
Bruschi ready to tackle fitness issues for president
June 27
Boston Globe
 
"Tedy Bruschi is not likely to ever hold the office of US president, but the ex-Patriot linebacker got the chance to be sworn in like one. On Tuesday, Bruschi took an oath like Barack Obama did 17 months ago, as Bruschi was added to the 16-person President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. He spent two days in Washington with his new colleagues, learning the ropes and helping run an event for area high schoolers and middle schoolers geared to educate them on proper health. Bruschi went through a rigorous process to earn the appointment. "I don't know how they found me and picked me, and I was kind of shocked they did, but I'm honored to volunteer my time,'' Bruschi said. "The"
Jerod Mayo, defense never lost their swagger
November 23
Boston Herald
 columnist Karen Guregian
"During the week, linebacker Jerod Mayo insisted members of the defense were not the least bit miffed with Patriots coach Bill Belichick after last week's controversial fourth-and-2 call against the Colts. While former teammate Tedy Bruschi suggested Belichick's apparent lack of faith in the defense to make a late fourth-quarter stop would have made his blood boil for weeks, Mayo respectfully disagreed with his mentor. Given Bruschi was no longer a resident in the locker room, he didn't have a proper read on the pulse of what the players truly felt, Mayo said. The team's new defensive captain, who isn't fond of speaking during the week, took a stand in support of his coach. "He doesn't know"
Patriots come to the defense
November 20
Boston Globe
 
"At this time last year, Tedy Bruschi was a leader on the Patriots defense. This week, in an indirect way, he may have sped the passing of those duties to linebacker Jerod Mayo, already a captain in his second season. Bruschi, now an ESPN analyst, criticized Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on fourth and 2 from his 28 in Sunday's game against the Colts because, he said, as a former defensive player, it would have "been enough to make my blood boil.'' Yesterday, Mayo further asserted himself as the team's defensive leader by offering the strongest rebuke yet by a Patriots player of the sentiment Bruschi championed."
Long Tom since Brady was this bad
September 21
New York Post
 
"It has been eight years since Tom Brady and his Patriots came to the Meadowlands and tasted defeat. It seems about that long since their offense has been made to look this -- offensive. The unit that scorched the rest of the NFL in 2007 is clearly sputtering and trying to find its way two games into 2009. The Patriots didn't find the end zone once in a 16-9 loss yesterday, got rattled into a host of un-Patriot-like procedure penalties, and saw Brady hurried and harassed into a miserable afternoon. The Pro Bowl quarterback -- who missed last year with a torn ACL and MCL -- was just 23-of-47 for 216 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. "He looked frustrated," Shaun Ellis said of"
A 'bye on the schedule
September 1
Boston Globe
 
"Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the only way he could describe linebacker Tedy Bruschi was that he always did the right thing. "Whatever was the right thing at that moment, it seemed like he always hit it right on the head,'' said Belichick. Yesterday, the 36-year-old Bruschi decided the right thing was for him to retire after a decorated and inspiring career with the Patriots that spanned 13 seasons, eight AFC East division crowns, five conference championships, three Super Bowl titles, and one remarkable recovery from a stroke."
Tedy Bruschi a role model to Pats, fans
September 1
Boston Herald
 
"Whenever you think something is impossible, or can't happen, there's always someone out there to make you believe otherwise. Tedy Bruschi was that someone. Whether it was being undersized as an inside linebacker but still managing to flourish in the NFL, or sustaining a stroke and miraculously making it back to play four more seasons with the Patriots, Bruschi inspired legions of followers. Fans had a love affair with No. 54, who yesterday announced his retirement from pro football after 13 seasons with the Patriots. While it's hard not to love a guy who was clutch, and constantly made big plays in the big games, kind of the football version of Big Papi, perhaps his former teammate and"
Endorsement outlook good for Tedy Bruschi
September 1
Boston Herald
 
"Tedy Bruschi's retirement yesterday won't jeopardize his endorsement deals. The linebacker is set to become a spokesman for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. "We have been involved with Tedy since before his stroke and we intend to go forward despite his retirement," said Timothy Sullivan, a Spaulding spokesman. Robert Sheridan, president and CEO of Savings Bank Life Insurance Co., said his company is in the second year of a deal with Bruschi, with an option for an additional year. "I can't speak for Tedy, but we would like our deal to continue," he said. "He has humanized the need for life insurance.""
Torch passed to teammates
September 1
Boston Herald
 
"Tedy Bruschi's teammates, past and present, all had stories to tell and remembrances to share. They all talked glowingly about the linebacker, and what he meant to them, and the team he played with for 13 seasons. They couldn't say enough about Bruschi the person, and the player. Bruschi had called Jerod Mayo on Sunday to inform him he was retiring. "I came in here and heard all the horror stories about rookies and everything, but Tedy Bruschi broke all those stories," Mayo said. "He's a great guy, took me under his wing when I first came here. He told me then (that) one day, he would pass the torch onto me and the rest of the team. I guess today is that day." Mayo, who Bruschi believes"
Tedy Bruschi matured with franchise
September 1
Boston Herald
 
"Tedy Bruschi arrived in Foxboro at a time when the Patriots were in the early stages of moving beyond their novelty phase. They were led by a high-profile coach, but they were still a championship-starved, low-watt team playing its home games in a no-frills stadium. Nobody used the words "dynasty" when talking about the Patriots in those days, and editors from glossy business magazines were not dialing up Robert Kraft to tell him he was the owner of The Best-Run Team in Professional Sports. And so when Tedy Bruschi stood there at the podium late yesterday morning and announced he is retiring after 13 seasons with the Patriots, it probably would have been fitting for him to take us on a"
Bill Belichick reveals softer side
September 1
Boston Herald
 
"Going into yesterday's retirement press conference, most believed Tedy Bruschi would be the one to lose it. After all, he tends to get emotional. As it turns out, he was fine. It was Bill Belichick who cracked. The normally stoic coach choked back tears as he spoke about his longtime defensive captain. His voice wavered at times, and he needed to pause repeatedly during his eloquent soliloquy to keep composed. It was a Belichick rarely seen. The show of emotion just underscored what Bruschi meant to the Pats coach. "I've had the privilege of coaching a lot of great players and leaders in the National Football League, and I'll just put Tedy up there with all of them and above all of them,""
Notable quotes about Tedy Bruschi
September 1
Boston Herald
 
""When you come in this facility there's a sign . . . and the most important part of that sign I read. I read it all, but there's one part of it that's important, and Bill (Belichick) does a great job of always emphasizing this and you've heard him say it. It says, 'Do your job.' Do your job. Well, I did my job for 13 years and now my job is done. My job's done, Bill. I'm looking forward to living the rest of my life, I really am. Thanks." "Being a Patriot my entire career, I am very proud of that. I am very proud of (it). Heidi was my girlfriend in 1996; we weren't married yet and I got drafted by the Patriots. I looked at her in our little apartment and I said, 'I'd like to stay with this"
Working-class hero Tedy Bruschi bows out
September 1
Boston Herald
 
"Even at the end, his heart was bigger than his head. Tedy Bruschi has always been two people. On the one hand he understood he had been an underdog most of his football life, an undersized guy with a need to prove people wrong. On the other, he was always a smart guy who understood that perception is never reality. Only reality is reality. This summer he grew to learn the reality for him now was that at 36 his body was deserting him, as it does all the warriors in the arena. For some it happens quickly, for others it takes time. But none avoid the only undefeated force on earth - the passage of time - forever. At some point after Friday night's preseason game against the Washington"
Tedy Bruschi an inspiration to many
September 1
Boston Herald
 
"One of three-time Super Bowl winner Tedy Bruschi's greatest victories may be the hope he's given other stroke survivors through his fund-raising and amazing comeback, say those whose hearts are close to the cause. "To see someone go through it the way he did was really inspirational," said Katie Jerdee, 22, a stroke survivor and soccer player at Northeastern University. "People could see it happens to young people and they can overcome it and they can return to what they were doing before," added Jerdee, who raised $10,000 for stroke awareness running two Boston Marathons on Tedy's Team. The 36-year-old linebacker announced his retirement yesterday, after 13 seasons with the Patriots."
Tedy Bruschi, the consummate Patriot, retires
September 1
Boston Herald
 
"Inside the locker room, his former teammates dressed for practice and spoke in hushed tones, reflecting on the profound impact the player had on their lives. Outside it, with his wife Heidi by his side, Tedy Bruschi walked down the dimly lit hallways of Gillette Stadium, into the sunset and away from football. Bruschi, the inspirational linebacker who became a face of the Patriots franchise, decided 13 years was enough. After earning three Super Bowl rings, making one Pro Bowl and becoming an example to a community for returning to football following a stroke, he retired yesterday. "Every player that's in that locker room (his) career is going to have a beginning, a middle and an end,""
Patriots leader Tedy Bruschi to retire today
August 31
Boston Herald
 
"Tedy Bruschi still had a place on the Patriots. He wasn't in danger of being slashed with roster cutdowns on tap this week. But that won't stop the veteran linebacker from announcing his retirement in a press conference at Gillette Stadium this morning. According to a source familiar with the situation, Bruschi just knew it was time to let go. He knew at age 36, already having suffered a stroke, with 13 pro seasons under his belt, he couldn't contribute to the team in a matter that was suitable to him. So he met with coach Bill Belichick late yesterday afternoon and went out on his own terms. From the outset of training camp, it's been a difficult process for Bruschi, who was one of the"
Bruschi braces for new role
August 26
Boston Globe
 
"Tedy Bruschi's role on the Patriots is still not clearly defined, but he's willing to be used as a role player, if that is what is best for the team. It's hard to picture Bruschi in a complementary role, but he pointed out that before he was a household name in New England, he was a third-round pick trying to find a niche in the NFL. Playing with the second team, as he did in his preseason debut against the Cincinnati Bengals last Thursday - Gary Guyton started at inside linebacker beside Jerod Mayo - is not uncharted territory. "I've been with every unit in my career,'' said Bruschi. "I've been with every single unit, so maybe it would be different if I came in as No. 1 overall pick. "But"
Tedy Bruschi feels good
August 26
Boston Herald
 
"Upon returning to the practice field after a lengthy absence, linebacker Tedy Bruschi said early last week he was trying to find his way and role on the team. Asked about his progress yesterday, the 36-year-old Bruschi said he was mostly pleased with his health. "I feel good," Bruschi said. "I think the best thing I feel about is my body, my body's doing well . . . (I've) been feeling good out there, been able to participate, not like the beginning of camp . . . now I'm just sort of in a progression like the other players, trying to get ready for the regular season." Bruschi played in last Thursday's exhibition against Cincinnati, appearing with the second unit. Judging by his remarks, he"
Bruschi rolls in to practice, role unclear
August 17
Boston Globe
 
"Back in a full-pads practice yesterday for the first time since July 31, Tedy Bruschi explained that his absence was due in part to age. It takes a 36-year-old linebacker a little longer to recuperate than a 26-year-old linebacker. "You get a little bit older and you have to mend some aches and some pains,'' said Bruschi. "That's just why it took a little bit longer for me to get out here, but I'm feeling better now and hopefully I can get back to work.''"
Tedy Bruschi's new role
August 17
Boston Herald
 
"Not so long ago, Tedy Bruschi's role and place in the Patriots defense clearly was defined. As the "mike" or strong-side middle inside linebacker in the 3-4 alignment, he was the leader of the unit. He was the play-caller. Everything revolved around him. Listening to Bruschi yesterday, he not only has surrendered that job to second-year linebacker Jerod Mayo, but he didn't sound exactly sure where he was going to fit in going forward. Bruschi, who was back out on the field after not appearing in a padded practice since the first day of training camp July 30, sounded more like a rookie than an established veteran. "We're in training camp right now and roles are being defined, and I know we"
Tedy Bruschi a true survivor
August 1
Boston Herald
 
"Patriots inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi learned the secrets of longevity before there was a need to know. Bruschi was on the practice fields outside Gillette Stadium yesterday for the second day of his 13th Patriots training camp, even though he plays a difficult position not conducive to an extended NFL run. Bruschi, however, honed his survival skills through simple powers of observation. "Longevity is something I learned by watching the guys that were ahead of me," he said. "I played with guys like Roman Phifer when I was coming up in my career, and he was in his 13th and 14th seasons. "I was intently watching Junior Seau the last few years and saw his way to career longevity. Certainly"
Bruschi blows whistle: He eventually wants to coach
July 4
Boston Globe
 
"Linebacker Tedy Bruschi is still couching exactly when his playing career will end, but when it does, he wouldn't mind coaching. Yesterday, a month before the Patriots start training camp, Bruschi hosted his second Kids Football Clinic, sponsored by insurer SBLI, at Gillette Stadium. Bruschi approached the noncontact camp of 54 children decked out in No. 54 jerseys with the same passion and intensity he has displayed during his career with the Patriots, now entering its 14th season. "I know I can coach,'' said Bruschi. "I know the game. I've been in it so long. It's just going to be a matter of what I do when I'm done. It's a passion of mine. I know I love football. I know I want to be in"
Bruschi undecided
June 23
Boston Globe
 
"Some veterans make up their minds before the season, declaring this will be their last go-around on the gridiron. Such a mind-set can help them power through the grind of one more training camp, maybe even appreciating it more because they know finality is right around the corner. Linebacker Tedy Bruschi isn't one of those players. Entering his 14th NFL season, Bruschi said yesterday this could be the final year of his career. Then again, it may not. Bruschi, whose contract expires after the 2009 season, is leaving his options open. "It has to be that way, not only for me but also the team,'' Bruschi said prior to the Spaulding Hospital "Tee up with Tedy'' golf tournament at TPC of Boston."
Bruschi seeks return
January 6
Boston Globe
 
"Tedy Bruschi signed a two-year contract last February, and as long as the Patriots want him back, the inside linebacker intends to honor that contract and return for a 14th season, according to a source with knowledge of Bruschi's thinking. The 35-year-old Bruschi missed the final three games of the 2008 season with an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. The source said Bruschi will not need surgery on the knee and that if the Patriots had made the playoffs and played a first-round game last week, Bruschi possibly could have suited up. "If they played another week, he might have played," said the source. "If they played longer-term in the postseason, he would have"
Defense banged up
December 9
Boston Globe
 
"A league source said that Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who left Sunday's 24-21 win over the Seattle Seahawks with a knee injury, was sent back to Massachusetts to undergo tests on his left knee. That would mean that Bruschi was not with the team yesterday in the San Jose area, where it will practice this week in preparation for Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders. Bruschi left the game after Patriots cornerback Mike Richardson collided helmet-first with Bruschi's knee on the fourth play of the second quarter. The source said the knee is the same one that has had Bruschi on the injury report the last couple of weeks and limited him in practice. Bruschi was seen walking out of the"
Tedy Bruschi’s likely done for season
December 9
Boston Herald
 
"Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi didn’t suffer a devastating knee injury Sunday in Seattle, according to a league source. That’s the good news. The bad? Given his timetable for a return runs in the 3-to-4 week window, as the source indicated, it’s likely the Patriots will place Bruschi on season-ending injured reserve. With the urgency of having to win out to make the playoffs, and needing healthy bodies, the Pats don’t have the luxury of waiting for Bruschi’s injury to heal. It’s logical the Pats will make an attempt to find someone, as they did when they added both Junior Seau and Rosevelt Colvin last week, and then stick Bruschi on IR. Bruschi was hit in the left knee by teammate Mike"
Tedy Bruschi roles along
November 30
Boston Herald
 
"Tedy Bruschi may not be on the field as much as in past years, but one element of the veteran linebacker’s game that has remained a full-time job is his role as mentor to the younger players. In the big picture, that may turn out to be one of Bruschi’s most important contributions to the 2008 campaign. Whether it’s been fellow inside linebackers Jerod Mayo and Gary Guyton, or even third-year player Pierre Woods, Bruschi has done his best to impart some of the wisdom he’s gained from 13 years in the league. He’s helped the rookies deal with the rigors of the season, too. And thus far, Mayo and Guyton in particular have performed and acted like seasoned veterans. “We talk a lot. We’re in the"
Tedy Bruschi still the excitable type
September 2
Boston Herald
 
"A couple of months after his 35th birthday, Tedy Bruschi no longer takes anything for granted. So when he was not among the Patriots final cuts Saturday, it was a time to say thanks and share a moment with a player who knew exactly what he was feeling. “Rodney (Harrison) and I just recently congratulated each other on making the team,” Bruschi said yesterday. “He’s made his 15th and I’ve made my 13th. So now it’s like OK, it’s time to get ready for the season. It’s exciting trying to help another team win.” Excitement is a good word to describe Bruschi’s current state. For the first time since he was a young linebacker himself, he’ll start alongside a precocious 20-something in rookie"
He's a happy birthday boy
June 9
Boston Globe
 
"Tedy Bruschi celebrates his 35th birthday today, and save for a few stray grays in his jet-black mane, there are few outward signs of his advancing age. The veteran inside linebacker has the same passion for the game he had when he entered the league as third-round pick in 1996. That is why he is back for a 13th season. The heart and soul of the New England defense, Bruschi signed a two-year, $4.1 million contract in February, less than a month after the Patriots lost Super Bowl XLII. Bruschi said yesterday, after the Patriots wrapped up their three-day mandatory minicamp at Gillette Stadium, that it only took him two or three days after the season ended to let the Patriots know he wanted"
No hang-ups for Tedy Bruschi
June 9
Boston Herald
 
"Tedy Bruschi indicated yesterday he knew within 48 hours after the Super Bowl loss to the Giants that he wasn’t going to turn in his helmet and pads. The linebacker, who signed a contract for two more seasons, said the fire still burns as much as it has in the past. But hasn’t the 12-year veteran, who turns 35 today, asked himself, “Why am I still here?” “Ask me that question again about the third or fourth day of training camp, after we have a few two-a-days under our belts,” Bruschi cracked, “but no, not right now. Training camp is going to be the toughest month of the job, it always is. But that’s what you have to push through, and once you get to those regular-season weeks,"