Interview with Tedy Bruschi: Never Give Up!

Three-time Super Bowl champion Tedy Bruschi shares his remarkable story of surviving a stroke and then playing again in the NFL.

In early February 2005, Tedy Bruschi was feeling on top of the world. He had just won his third Super Bowl as a linebacker for the New England Patriots and had played in his first Pro Bowl. His son, Dante, had been born in January. But then, adversity struck. At the age of 31, Tedy suffered a stroke. Somehow, eight months later, he was back playing football for the Patriots, eventually being named the 2005 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. My Hometown Health recently spoke to Tedy to find out more about his extraordinary story and his ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the warning signs of stroke.

When did the stroke occur?
It was the middle of the night the day after the 2005 Pro Bowl. Believe it or not, I was dreaming about the AFC Championship game when I woke up with tightness in my neck and a severe headache. When I tried to stand up, I felt a lot of numbness down the left side of my body. Because I didn’t know the warning signs of a stroke, I took two Alleve and went back to bed. I woke up at 10 the next morning. I could hear my oldest son, T.J., come into the room on my left, but I couldn’t see him until he suddenly appeared in the right side of my vision and startled me. I had lost my vision in the left side of each eye. I looked at my wife, Heidi, and told her to call 9-1-1.

What was your initial reaction when you learned you had suffered a stroke?
I thought “How in the world could this happen?” I was 31 years old and at the peak of my physical ability. Stroke was something I associated with older people like my grandfather or grandmother. Then, on top of all that, I found out what probably caused the stroke: a hole between the upper chambers of my heart that I had been born with and needed to be repaired.

When did you start to think about returning to football?
It took a while. At first, I thought football was over for me. I just wanted to be able to take care of my wife and children. But thanks to rehab, I started to get better, and the thought of playing again slowly entered my mind. What concerned me the most about returning to football was my vision. If you can’t see, you can’t play. But then one night, I realized I could see the numbers 12:23 on a digital clock in our bedroom. Before that night, I could only see 2:23 because the left side of my vision was still impaired.

Were there any concerns about playing football again?
Yes. A lot of people thought it was not a good idea. Heidi wasn’t for it at all initially. But I knew if I didn’t try, I would regret it later. So Heidi and I decided to talk to as many doctors as we could and see if there were any concerns. After I was cleared to play, my first game back was against the Buffalo Bills. Heidi’s three-second rule was in effect. If I don’t get up after a tackle in three seconds, she was coming on the field to get me. Fortunately, she never had to, and I’m proud to say that I made 366 tackles as a stroke survivor.

Tell us about Tedy’s Team.
I wanted to partner with the American Stroke Association to raise awareness and educate people about the warning signs of stroke. So we formed Tedy’s Team. It’s a group of runners who raise awareness and funds to fight stroke. Each team member honors a “stroke hero,” a survivor of stroke or someone who lost their life. In our first year, we had eight runners and raised $80,000. Today, we’re up to 45 runners, who participate in the Boston Marathon and other events, and we’ve raised more than $5,000,000. Through Tedy’s team, it’s been my privilege to meet and talk with many stroke survivors and hear their stories. Just like them, I’m proud to say that I’m a stroke survivor. It’s a big part of my life.