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In the Starting Line-Up
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I didn't see this posted. Excellent excerpt from the long-anticipated Bruschi book.
http://news.bostonherald.com/blogs/patriots/
June 14th, 2007
Bruschi’s story
Posted by Albert Breer at 11:45 am
Just received an advance copy of Tedy Bruschi’s upcoming book, Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery & My Return to the NFL. And the parts of this work, co-authored by WEEI’s Michael Holley (also the author of Patriot Reign), that I’ve gotten through so far have been outstanding.
Here’s an exercept that I found particularly interesting, just to give you a taste of what you’re in for when Never Give Up is released on Aug. 17. The stage is set in September of 2005, just before the Patriots were to open the season against the Oakland Raiders:
The six-month echo in September was incredible. All we heard was, “You’re looking great, Tedy. Everything is neurologically fine.” It was early when we left Dr. Greer’s office, no later than seven or eight, so I asked Heidi if she wanted to get breakfast. She said she did, so we drove from Boston to one of our favorite places in North Attleboro, A&J’s. There wasn’t a lot said during the drive, but I know both of us sensed something significant had just taken place. There’s is no way I could’ve had a more positive and upbeat health report than the one Dr. Greer had just given. When we got to A&J’s, I was feeling so great about my health that I decided to splurge and order something with a little grease and fat: I had blueberry pancakes with butter on top, a side of corned beef hash, a glass of orange juice and some coffee. Heidi had chocolate chip pancakes.
We sat in a booth and considered everything that we had been through.
“What am I waiting for Heidi?” I asked her. “Physically, there is nothing wrong with me. Mentally, all right, I might be a little messed up in the head. But what am I waiting for?”
We weren’t arguing. Heidi knew everything I did about my health. She knows me better than anyone, so she could see how much things were bothering me, from not being able to participate to the “I thought you were just trying to get paid” comment from a teammate.
“I know,” Heidi said. “I know that you’re fine.”
We looked at each other across the table. We were about to come to a decision in our neighborhood diner.“Let’s just go for it this year,” I said.
Heidi agreed that waiting one year didn’t make a lot of sense. It was time to resume my career in 2005. I didn’t have to wander about on golf courses anymore, asking myself what I was doing. I didn’t have to fight myself anymore, asking what the purpose was of taking notes in 2005 for something I couldn’t do until 2006. No more; It was time to play.
Bill Belichick had Oakland on his mind, but I went to see him in his office and tell him the news. I told him that I wanted to stay on the PUP list until I was eligible to practice and play with the Patriots.
“Bill, I want to take advantage of that practice time,” I said.
“Let me get this straight,” Bill said. “There’s still no way of you playing this year at all?”
I just looked at him. There was a pause, and he looked at me with raised eyebrows.
“Bill, I want to practice because I’m going to play this year,” I said.
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Bill with a look on his face that let you know you said something he didn’t expect. We’re talking about the man who is always thinking ahead, two or three steps ahead of you. He’s the one who mentioned the year off in the beginning when I wasn’t thinking that way. Now it didn’t appear that he had anticipated what I was going to say to him. He went over the gist of what I said, just to be sure he heard me say it.
“I want to make sure we’re on the same page here,” he said. “Are you telling me that going out there and picking up another linebacker this year would be the wrong move?”
“Yeah,” I said. “That would be the wrong move.”
Bill had seen me in all phases of my comeback. He talked to me when I thought I had to retire, he saw me when I told him I was going to take the season off, and he had to sense the joy I was feeling when I told him I was returning in 2005. I left his office and headed up a flight of stairs so I could see Mr. Kraft. I’ve never had a problem communicating with the owner of the team, and now we were talking more than ever. Each time I had something to report, I’d make a point to personally tell Bill and Mr. Kraft so they could stay in the loop. Mr. Kraft had always realized how important Heidi is to me and how we figure out issues together. So before he told me what I had to do, he asked a good question.
“Is Heidi on board with this?” he said. “I’d like to know what she thinks.”
… And you’ll have to wait a couple months for the rest of it. But you don’t have to wait to line up a copy for yourself. You can go here to pre-order the book at Amazon.com. Trust that, from just the parts that I’ve read, it’ll be worth it.
http://news.bostonherald.com/blogs/patriots/
June 14th, 2007
Bruschi’s story
Posted by Albert Breer at 11:45 am
Just received an advance copy of Tedy Bruschi’s upcoming book, Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery & My Return to the NFL. And the parts of this work, co-authored by WEEI’s Michael Holley (also the author of Patriot Reign), that I’ve gotten through so far have been outstanding.
Here’s an exercept that I found particularly interesting, just to give you a taste of what you’re in for when Never Give Up is released on Aug. 17. The stage is set in September of 2005, just before the Patriots were to open the season against the Oakland Raiders:
The six-month echo in September was incredible. All we heard was, “You’re looking great, Tedy. Everything is neurologically fine.” It was early when we left Dr. Greer’s office, no later than seven or eight, so I asked Heidi if she wanted to get breakfast. She said she did, so we drove from Boston to one of our favorite places in North Attleboro, A&J’s. There wasn’t a lot said during the drive, but I know both of us sensed something significant had just taken place. There’s is no way I could’ve had a more positive and upbeat health report than the one Dr. Greer had just given. When we got to A&J’s, I was feeling so great about my health that I decided to splurge and order something with a little grease and fat: I had blueberry pancakes with butter on top, a side of corned beef hash, a glass of orange juice and some coffee. Heidi had chocolate chip pancakes.
We sat in a booth and considered everything that we had been through.
“What am I waiting for Heidi?” I asked her. “Physically, there is nothing wrong with me. Mentally, all right, I might be a little messed up in the head. But what am I waiting for?”
We weren’t arguing. Heidi knew everything I did about my health. She knows me better than anyone, so she could see how much things were bothering me, from not being able to participate to the “I thought you were just trying to get paid” comment from a teammate.
“I know,” Heidi said. “I know that you’re fine.”
We looked at each other across the table. We were about to come to a decision in our neighborhood diner.“Let’s just go for it this year,” I said.
Heidi agreed that waiting one year didn’t make a lot of sense. It was time to resume my career in 2005. I didn’t have to wander about on golf courses anymore, asking myself what I was doing. I didn’t have to fight myself anymore, asking what the purpose was of taking notes in 2005 for something I couldn’t do until 2006. No more; It was time to play.
Bill Belichick had Oakland on his mind, but I went to see him in his office and tell him the news. I told him that I wanted to stay on the PUP list until I was eligible to practice and play with the Patriots.
“Bill, I want to take advantage of that practice time,” I said.
“Let me get this straight,” Bill said. “There’s still no way of you playing this year at all?”
I just looked at him. There was a pause, and he looked at me with raised eyebrows.
“Bill, I want to practice because I’m going to play this year,” I said.
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Bill with a look on his face that let you know you said something he didn’t expect. We’re talking about the man who is always thinking ahead, two or three steps ahead of you. He’s the one who mentioned the year off in the beginning when I wasn’t thinking that way. Now it didn’t appear that he had anticipated what I was going to say to him. He went over the gist of what I said, just to be sure he heard me say it.
“I want to make sure we’re on the same page here,” he said. “Are you telling me that going out there and picking up another linebacker this year would be the wrong move?”
“Yeah,” I said. “That would be the wrong move.”
Bill had seen me in all phases of my comeback. He talked to me when I thought I had to retire, he saw me when I told him I was going to take the season off, and he had to sense the joy I was feeling when I told him I was returning in 2005. I left his office and headed up a flight of stairs so I could see Mr. Kraft. I’ve never had a problem communicating with the owner of the team, and now we were talking more than ever. Each time I had something to report, I’d make a point to personally tell Bill and Mr. Kraft so they could stay in the loop. Mr. Kraft had always realized how important Heidi is to me and how we figure out issues together. So before he told me what I had to do, he asked a good question.
“Is Heidi on board with this?” he said. “I’d like to know what she thinks.”
… And you’ll have to wait a couple months for the rest of it. But you don’t have to wait to line up a copy for yourself. You can go here to pre-order the book at Amazon.com. Trust that, from just the parts that I’ve read, it’ll be worth it.
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