Tedy Lacap Bruschi is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League for 13 seasons, who currently serves as the senior advisor to the head coach at University of Arizona.
47 Facts About Tedy Bruschi
2.
Tedy Bruschi played college football for the University of Arizona, and was a two-time consensus All-American.
3.
Tedy Bruschi was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft, and played his entire professional career with the Patriots.
4.
Tedy Bruschi attended Roseville High School in Roseville, California, where he lettered in high school football, wrestling and track and field.
5.
Tedy Bruschi was an all-conference selection as a defensive tackle for the Roseville Tigers.
6.
Tedy Bruschi attended the University of Arizona, where he played for the Arizona Wildcats football team from 1991 to 1995.
7.
Tedy Bruschi was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American in 1994 and 1995, and won the 1995 Morris Trophy as the Pacific-10 Conference's best defensive lineman.
8.
Tedy Bruschi returned and started two games as a true freshman, but suffered a broken left thumb and was redshirted.
9.
Tedy Bruschi totaled 39 tackles, including 10 sacks and 15 tackles for losses.
10.
Tedy Bruschi was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
11.
Tedy Bruschi played for the Patriots from 1996 to 2008.
12.
Tedy Bruschi never used an agent during his time with the New England Patriots.
13.
In 1998, Tedy Bruschi played in every game for the third consecutive year and started the last eight games of the season, including the Patriots wild-card playoff game in Jacksonville.
14.
Tedy Bruschi finished fourth on the team with a career-high 81 tackles, including a pair of sacks.
15.
Tedy Bruschi finished second on the team in tackles, despite missing two games due to a right knee sprain.
16.
Tedy Bruschi made his first career interception, one of six passes defensed on the year.
17.
Tedy Bruschi was credited with two sacks, forced three fumbles, recovering one, and two interceptions.
18.
In 2002, Tedy Bruschi was voted a defensive captain for the season by his teammates.
19.
Tedy Bruschi ranked seventh on the team with 65 tackles despite missing five games due to injury.
20.
Tedy Bruschi returned two interceptions for touchdowns, the seventh time a Patriot interceptor has reached the end zone twice in a single season and the first time a linebacker has accomplished the feat.
21.
Tedy Bruschi ranked second on the team with 137 tackles and finished third on the team with 16 pass defenses.
22.
Tedy Bruschi was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Weeks Two and 14.
23.
Tedy Bruschi was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week three times in 2004: Weeks 4 and 17 and in the Divisional Playoffs, when he forced a fumble and recovered two fumbles as the Patriots defense held the highly regarded Colts offense to just three points.
24.
On February 15,2005, at age 31 and just three days after playing in the 2005 Pro Bowl, Tedy Bruschi woke up with symptoms including left sided numbness, weakness, and vision problems.
25.
Tedy Bruschi was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he diagnosed with an ischemic stroke, caused by a blocked artery in the brain.
26.
Tedy Bruschi was found to have a patent foramen ovale, a congenital heart defect that leaves a small hole in the wall separating the left and right atria of the heart.
27.
On October 16,2005, the Patriots announced that Tedy Bruschi had been medically cleared to resume playing football; he rejoined the team on the practice field three days later.
28.
Tedy Bruschi played most of the remaining games that season, except for the final regular season game against Miami and the first playoff game against Jacksonville.
29.
Tedy Bruschi was named the 2005 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, an honor he shared with Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith.
30.
Tedy Bruschi was listed as questionable, and didn't play in the first game of the 2006 season against the Buffalo Bills.
31.
Tedy Bruschi was voted a defensive captain by his teammates and started the final 14 games at linebacker.
32.
Tedy Bruschi finished first on the team with 124 tackles.
33.
Tedy Bruschi led the team with 23 tackles in the 2007 playoffs.
34.
Tedy Bruschi tied a single-game career high with a two-sack performance against the Cleveland Browns on October 7,2007, and ran his career total to 30.5 sacks, becoming the 13th player in Patriots' history to reach that milestone.
35.
Tedy Bruschi was the first player in NFL history to return four consecutive interceptions for touchdown and his career total of four interceptions returned for touchdowns ranks second in Patriots history.
36.
Tedy Bruschi is tied for fourth in NFL history among linebackers, and Bruschi is the only Patriots linebacker to return multiple interceptions for touchdowns in a single season.
37.
Tedy Bruschi scored four of those touchdowns on interception returns, forced two fumbles that were picked up and returned for touchdowns, and tipped a pass that was intercepted by James Sanders and returned for a touchdown.
38.
Tedy Bruschi confirmed his retirement on August 31,2009 at a press conference alongside New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft.
39.
Tedy Bruschi described how it felt to know that he had reached all of the goals he wanted to reach.
40.
Tedy Bruschi has indicated that he would prefer that his number not be retired.
41.
On May 21,2013, Tedy Bruschi was voted by fans as the 19th player to enter the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.
42.
On February 1,2015, Tedy Bruschi was an honorary captain at Super Bowl XLIX.
43.
An accomplished saxophonist, Tedy Bruschi has played with the Boston Pops.
44.
Tedy Bruschi's stepfather, Ron Sandys, was a professional tennis player.
45.
In 2007, Tedy Bruschi wrote Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery, and My Return to the NFL, a book about his experience with his stroke and his recovery.
46.
Tedy Bruschi ran in the Boston Marathon in 2012 and 2019.
47.
On July 5,2019, it was reported through his foundation, Tedy's Team, that Bruschi had suffered a second stroke.