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Many didn?t see Tedy Bruschi as a football player.
Normally a draft-eligible player that holds the PAC-10 career record for sacks would be considered a can?t miss first round talent. Bruschi, the tempest of the feared Arizona Desert Swarm Defense, finished his Wildcat career with 52 sacks. He was unstoppable speeding around offensive tackles for four years.
But in the 1996 Draft, Bruschi had to wait until the third round for his name to be called. Tedy?s didn?t pass the eyeball test. Scouts and coaches saw a college defensive end that was too small (6-1 and under 250 pounds) to play the position at the pro level. Sure, he was a great athlete rushing up the field, but Bruschi would get swallowed up by massive pro tackles that measured 6-5 and 300 pounds, and often larger. An undersized defensive end wouldn?t make it as a pro, they believed.
New England didn?t know what to do with Bruschi. They didn?t believe Tedy could play defensive end either, but they liked him enough as an athlete to take a chance on him. They?d figure out a way to use him. For now, just put Bruschi on the field and see if he can make things happen.
The Patriots didn?t have to wait long. Playing on special teams in his rookie season, Bruschi introduced himself to the fans by recovering a blocked punt for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens. The question became how do the Patriots get Bruschi on the field more?
It took two and a half years, but by his fourth, Bruschi was a full time starting linebacker. It was a modest beginning in 1999 as Bruschi had two sacks and an interception to go with 71 tackles, good for second on the team. It was a sign of things to come.
By 2002, Bruschi was a defensive captain. He earned his teammates? respect and he endeared himself to the fans. They appreciated his all-out play and the passion he played with. They watched Bruschi develop from a role player into a regular when many people didn?t expect Tedy to become anything. Fans knew it took a lot of hard work for Bruschi to get to where he was. They felt Bruschi had the same blue collar work ethic. He was one of them.
It helps when one?s name is pronounced like the choice beverage of the average football fan. After big plays, the home crowd belted out a loud ?Bruuuuuuuu-schi!? when Tedy got a sack or picked off another pass.
Talking about interceptions, Bruschi became quite a ballhawk at the linebacker position. Bruschi finished with a dozen picks, including a period where he returned four picks in a row for touchdowns. The fourth was the most memorable.
In a tight 2003 December game against the Miami Dolphins, Bruschi caught a short bullet from Jay Fiedler and returned it five yards for the score. The play set off a celebration, as fans grabbed fresh snow in the stadium and threw it straight up like confetti. It was an unforgettable scene.
Bruschi was riding a high. He had already won a Super Bowl when no one thought the Patriots had a chance against the St. Louis Rams. That 2003 season ended with a second championship. And the following year, Bruschi and the Pats won a third title, establishing the franchise as a dynasty.
To compliment the team?s success, Bruschi?s individual accomplishments finally were recognized as he was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Life couldn?t be better.
Life quickly became scary as Bruschi suffered a stroke immediately after returning home from playing in the Pro Bowl. The video of Bruschi slowly walking out of Mass General Hospital shook fans everywhere. Supported by his wife holding his left arm, Bruschi slowly limped to a waiting car and went home. Many thought it was for good.
No one thought Bruschi would play again. People thought he was crazy for trying to return because Bruschi would take hits to his head. Fans feared the wrong hit would set off another stroke.
Bruschi showed us what we didn?t know about his character. Going all out meant never giving up. Whether Tedy wanted to leave on his own terms or he just wanted to play again so badly, he walked onto the Gillette Stadium field with his teammates for a Sunday Night game against the Buffalo Bills, eight months after his stroke.
And he wasn?t just there. Bruschi started that game and finished with 10 tackles. Though it was obvious Bruschi played with nerves that night, he was still the same full-tilt player flying all over the field, going all out.
It was that player the fans respected, a guy that overachieved throughout his career and made the most of his talent. A rare modern-day player that put loyalty before prosperity by negotiating his own contracts to stay with the team, instead of accepting lucrative paydays from competing franchises. The Patriots fans will miss the individual as much as they will miss the player.
The New England franchise and fans know what they had in Tedy Bruschi. They also know there won?t be another one like him. Thank you, Tedy. Enjoy retirement.
Read more by Randolph Charlotin at his New England Patriots blog at. He can be reached at talktome@randolphc.com.
