It took Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis only seven games to earn a new contract. Notre Dame has signed Weis to a new, 10-year deal, the school announced Saturday. Weis originally had signed a six-year contract through the 2010 season when he was hired last December 12. This new deal takes effect next season and runs through 2015. "Since the first day I arrived at Notre Dame as head football coach, one of my primary goals was to be able to see this job through to the time my son, Charlie, would graduate from the University of Notre Dame and to stay in this position until I retire," Weis said. "By restructuring this contract, adding an additional five years, this allows me to accomplish that goal." Weis has led the Fighting Irish, who began the season unranked, to a 5-2 mark and the No. 9 ranking. Notre Dame also nearly upset top-ranked Southern California three weeks ago before coming up just short, 34-31. "In a very short period of time, Charlie has clearly and impressively demonstrated the ability to take the Notre Dame program where we all want it to go," Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White said. "We're excited that Charlie wanted to extend his commitment to Notre Dame, combined with the University's interest in furthering its relationship with him. All of us are enthusiastic about what the future holds for Notre Dame football with Charlie Weis as our head coach. We're confident that we've got the best coach in America ensconced at his alma mater for the remainder of his career."

Tedy Bruschi will be activated, will play and could start Sunday night for the New England Patriots against the Buffalo Bills depending on the Bills' opening formation, coach Bill Belichick told ESPN on Saturday. The team removed Bruschi from the physically unable to perform list Saturday afternoon, making him eligible to play Sunday night. He has not yet played this season. The Patriots' Pro Bowler had the stroke 10 days after helping the team win its third Super Bowl in four years. Although he said this summer that he planned to sit out the entire year, his recovery went well enough for him to come back early. Bruschi, who continued to attend meetings during his rehab, was cleared by doctors and returned to practice Oct. 19. "It's out of my control now," Bruschi said before practice on Wednesday. "I'm back. I'm a player. I'm a member of the team. So I've trusted my coaches ever since I was in high school."

Tedy Bruschi practiced again Wednesday, two days after his first practice with contact in more than eight months since he had a mild stroke. The New England Patriots linebacker, saying he felt like he usually does the day after such practices, added coach Bill Belichick will decide whether he will play Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills. "I'd like to get out there and see," Bruschi said before Wednesday's practice, "but it's out of my control now. I'm back. I'm a player. I'm a member of the team. So I've trusted my coaches ever since I was in high school. "Whatever my coach decides to do, I trust that."

``I am fully anticipating practicing (tomorrow),'' said Bruschi, a day after receiving medical clearance from Dr. David Greer, a specialist in stroke neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. ``It's been a long road through the rehabilitation ? mentally, physically and emotionally. But I've been cleared medically by every doctor and physician that has seen me. ``This has been a rough road. The first month and a half of the year, my third son is born, we win the AFC championship and the Super Bowl. I'm playing in the Pro Bowl and then two days later I come home and have a stroke, so it's been a roller coaster ride. But here I am, re

New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi plans to return to practice on Oct. 19, eight months after having a mild stroke. Bruschi was cleared by his doctors to begin practicing this week, but the Patriots left it up to Bruschi and his family to determine when he would return. Bruschi was one of the defensive stars on a team that has won three Super Bowl titles in the last four seasons. The Patriots are 3-3 so far this season. "I fully anticipate practicing Wednesday," he said at a news conference at Gillette Stadium. "I want to help this team any way I can."

New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi has been cleared by team doctors and could return to practice this week, eight months after suffering a mild stroke. Bruschi, 32, originally planned to take a year off after the stroke in February and surgery to repair a small hole in his heart a month later. But as his health improved, Bruschi started traveling to see specialists and got favorable reports. Bruschi was cleared to return to practice this week, though the Patriots said the timetable for his return will be left up him and his family. "Physically, Tedy is completely back to normal, and is completely healthy," said Dr. David Greer, a specialist from Massachusetts General Hospital who has monitored Bruschi since his stroke. "I have no doubt that he will be able to perform physically at a very high level. Tedy's safety, on and off the field, has always been our number one priority. At this time, I have advised him that, in my opinion, there are no medical reasons for him to delay his return to football."

Running back Corey Dillon was not in the starting lineup against the Broncos on Sunday. Dillon was in uniform on the sidelines but had yet to enter the game at Denver late in the second quarter. The Patriots were not required to announce before the game if Dillon was unavailable because New England's inactive list is full, leaving no room for Dillon anyway. Dillon missed part of Friday's practice with an injury and had been downgraded to questionable prior to the game. The injury, which has been reported as either a knee or ankle ailment

New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison tries to ignore the possibility that his career might be over, and is determined to return from a season-ending knee injury. "I cannot honestly say what's going to happen next year and what the future holds for me in terms of football," Harrison said Friday. "But I'm going to work my tail off to get back on the field." Harrison tore his anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament during New England's 23-20 win over Pittsburgh last month. The Patriots placed him on injured reserve, ending his season. Harrison expects to undergo surgery in about a month, once the swelling in his knee subsides. Meanwhile, the 32-year-old safety is responding well to treatment and therapy. Harrison said he has always recovered from injuries faster than expected. "Now, as far as a timetable, do I know? No, I've never been injured like this before," he said.

New England linebacker Tedy Bruschi is working toward a return to the Patriots -- this season, not next -- thanks to a faster-than-expected recovery from the stroke that sent him to the emergency room just days after playing in his first Pro Bowl. Several obstacles remain: Bruschi has received favorable reports from doctors but not final medical clearance, and others involved in the decision -- including the team's lawyers and Bruschi's family -- have not signed off on it. Bruschi said this summer he had no intention of coming back for the 2005 season. But the speed of his rehabilitation has made it possible for him to accelerate his schedule. "Anybody we can get back to this football team at this point would help us, regardless of who it is," linebacker Mike Vrabel said Friday. "Whoever we can have back, we'll take back."

According to sources with knowledge of the injury, the broken foot suffered by running back Kevin Faulk is very serious and could potentially affect his career. Faulk suffered a broken bone in his heal. He still hasn't been placed on injured reserve, which would officially knock him out for the season, but the expectation is Faulk will take longer to come back than Light. In the meantime, the Pats continue to explore their options at running back, signing Amos Zereoue two weeks ago and working out former Broncos back Quentin Griffith on Monday. It's not known if Griffith is 100 percent recovered from his torn ACL suffered last October.