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Monday, October 31, 2005
COLUMN: Steve Solloway
He's back, living life as he knows it
Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||
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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - "And at linebacker . . ." No one waited to hear the name. All the starting linebackers had been spoken for at the pregame introductions. Except for one. On this game day, Tedy Bruschi had come to play. Whether or not you agreed with his decision to return to play, emotions welled up in your throat. The primal roar of Patriots fans silenced all other noise. Football may the ultimate team game, but Sunday night's salute to one man was overwhelming. Tedy Bruschi, the inside linebacker of the New England Patriots, was back in the starting lineup, nearly nine months after a stroke that was minor in name only. He could have retired. Maybe he should have. He is 32, in the prime of a pro football career that has yielded three Super Bowl rings, the respect of teammates and opponents alike, and the unwavering adulation of fans. What more could he want? This. "I'm a football player," he said after the Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills, 21-16. "This is my trade. This is what I do." He led his teammates onto the field at Gillette Stadium about 40 minutes before the game to stretch and run through drills. He whipped off his helmet when he reached the 40-yard marker in front of the Buffalo bench and the early-arriving fans responded. Minutes later, when the linebackers separated from the larger group for their drills in a corner of the field, cameras flashed. There were more cheers. Bruschi ran under a pass, catching it easily and flipping it away. He did it again, the tension uncoiling from his body. This is his life. Prime time and the time away from the cameras. In the weight room, on the practice field. At team meetings. In the locker room with other men who share the same pain and joy, the same sense of achievement and the small doubts. Nothing he can do in life can replace this, which is why so few athletes walk away voluntarily. It's not the money, although what they do can make them wealthy and secure. It's not always the fame, not when notoriety can become the big gorilla, busting into private moments. It's the life. You can't bring down Edgerrin James in the open field. He can. You can't know what it's like to return an interception for a touchdown in front of 50,000 screaming fans. He does. A few weeks ago, as Bruschi announced his decision to play again, Travis Roy said he understood. Roy cannot swing his legs out of bed in the morning or feed himself. He cannot hold a beer or hug a woman. What he misses most is the life of the great athlete he once was. Only those closest to Bruschi and his doctors know the risk he faces. Only Bruschi knows how much it might cost to realize his rewards. People say it's Bruschi's decision. What should you care how Bruschi lives his life? That's what complicates everything. You invested your emotions in this guy. That was made obvious one more time when he ran onto the field Sunday night. What Tedy Bruschi does with his life is no longer just his business. Sunday night, he walked to the center of the field for the customary coin toss. Lawyer Milloy, his friend and former teammate, met him and the hugs were fierce. The Patriots kicked off. After the return, Bruschi ran onto the field with the defense. He called the defensive play. Buffalo running back Willis McGahee ran up the middle. Bruschi's territory. Vince Wilfork and Mike Vrabel got credit for the stop, but Bruschi was there. He said after the game he remembered two plays more than the others. His first tackle and his first time under a pile of bodies. "Knowing my wife was watching, I tried to get up fast," said Bruschi, flashing that familiar grin. "Hey, I'm a slow guy getting up. I've always been like that." But Sunday night, with so many watching, he got up quickly. He was back. At times he looked like a linebacker who hadn't played in months. At other times he was the heart of a team that won your heart years ago. He's the tough guy who's looked at death in a new way. When his three boys are old enough and face their own challenges, he hopes he's the answer. "You can get busy living or get busy dying," said Bruschi. He made his decision. Staff Writer Steve Solloway can be contacted at 791-6412 or at:
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