PATRIOTS BEAT: Mike Lowe

Bruschi will be missed, and not just for his play

Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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Thank you Tedy.

Thank you for making the right decision.

Thank you for again proving there is more to you than just being a football player.

The New England Patriots announced Wednesday that linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who suffered a mild stroke 10 days after the Patriots won their third Super Bowl championship in four years last February, would sit out the upcoming season.

It is a decision that many people expected, yet one many people feared.

Bruschi, you see, is that rare player whose value to his team cannot be measured merely by his statistics, which are indeed impressive.

For instance, over the last four years, as the Patriots won three Super Bowls, he made a team-high 403 tackles.

But his is the face of the Patriots for other reasons.

His instinctual ability to make big plays has made him the heart and soul of a proud defense.

His intensity always has allowed him to persevere when lesser players might have quit.

His intelligence had enabled him to see things before they happened on the football field.

His humility always kept him focused, never allowing him to think he was better than anyone else.

Yet it is his humanity that always has set the 32-year-old Bruschi apart from the stereotypical NFL player.

He always has been able to separate the game from his life. He has always been able to go home to his wife, Heidi, and three sons, Tedy Jr., Rex and Dante, and leave the chaos and stress of the game behind.

He would play with his sons. He would find time to play his beloved soprano saxophone or clarinet.

He never lost his human side.

And that's why he has become one of New England's most beloved sports figures.

And that's why he will be missed.

The Patriots can replace his tackles. During the off-season they brought in veterans Chad Brown and Monty Beisel, and drafted Ryan Claridge.

They knew, long before perhaps even Bruschi himself knew, that they had to be ready in case he couldn't play again.

But it will be difficult to replace everything else Bruschi brought to this team, especially his humanity.

Professional athletes often are remembered for moments in time. Joe Montana to Dwight Clark. Curt Schilling and the bloody sock. Bobby Orr flying through the air.

Surely everyone has their favorite image of Tedy Bruschi. Here's mine.

It doesn't come from a game - though the image of Bruschi, hands on hips, eyes glaring, letting out a deep, frosty breath during last January's snowy AFC playoff win over the Colts is vivid - but from the pregame hours before the Super Bowl last February.

Three and a half hours before the kickoff, Bruschi came onto the field with two of his sons, Tedy Jr. and Rex, for an informal game of tackle.

The three spent many minutes chasing each other and tackling each other before they eventually ran down the field and Bruschi signaled a "touchdown" for his sons as they raced into the end zone.

Hours later he played a spectacular game, which included a sack and an interception.

But his time with his sons was precious and unforgettable.

Will Bruschi ever play again?

Possibly. Football, of course, has run through Bruschi's life. Knowing his competitive nature, he may see this as another challenge to overcome.

But for now he made the right choice, the only choice.

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:

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