Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery, and My Return to the NFL » (Reprint)

Tedy Bruschi has been a linebacker with the New England Patriots for twelve years, playing in four Super Bowls and winning three. He has also been named to the Pro Bowl. He is an official spokesman for the American Stroke Association. He lives in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, with his wife, Heidi, and their three sons.

Michael Holley is the author of the New York Times bestseller Patriot Reign: Bill Belichick, the Coaches, and the Players Who Built a Champion. He currently cohosts the Dale & Holley show on Boston's WEEI, the No. 1–rated sports radio station in America.

Never Give Up

As a linebacker for the New England Patriots, who had just won their third Super Bowl in four years, Tedy Bruschi was no stranger to pain or to overcoming a challenge. But even eleven years in the NFL had not prepared him for what happened at four o'clock in the morning on February 16, 2005. Tedy awoke with an intense headache and was forced to crawl to the bathroom because his left arm and leg were not working very well. Seven hours later—as he lay on an ER gurney, his vision blurred, his arm and leg useless—he was stunned to learn that he had had a stroke. A few days later, he confessed to his family and his team that he believed his football-playing days were over.

In Never Give Up, Tedy Bruschi tells the powerful and inspiring story of the day when everything he believed about himself and his future was turned upside down, and how its long and grueling aftermath challenged his faith, his marriage, and his career. From the heartbreak of being warned by doctors not to pick up his children to the terrifying prospect of heart surgery, Tedy paints a vivid portrait of the obstacles faced by stroke survivors. He reveals how he and his family coped with the physical and emotional challenges of this life-threatening event, and how, with help from dedicated medical professionals and excellent modern treatment and therapy, he was able to rejoin the team just eight months later—earning him a share of the Comeback Player of the Year Award and full ownership of the prestigious Ed Block Courage Award.

Now Tedy is on a mission. One of the first things he discovered while in the hospital was that much of the damage caused by his stroke could have been prevented, had he sought medical attention sooner. His goal is to raise public awareness of what a stroke is, how to recognize stroke symptoms, and the importance of early intervention in minimizing stroke effects.

Tedy also has a vital message for stroke survivors: You can do it. You can take charge of your recovery, reclaim your life, and achieve the goals you set for yourself before disaster struck. It won't be easy; it will be the hardest thing you've ever done, but you'll have plenty of help. You'll have the expert care of highly trained doctors and therapists, the loving support of family and friends, and the inspiring example of Tedy Bruschi's unforgettable memoir, Never Give Up.

Publishers Weekly

Ten days after helping the New England Patriots win the 2005 Super Bowl, 31-year-old middle linebacker Bruschi suffered a debilitating stroke that left his future uncertain. Initially he planned to retire, but as he began to recover, a process that included surgery to repair the hole in his heart that precipitated the stroke, the lure of football beckoned. Bruschi learned much about stroke from doctors who treated him and cleared him to play again. After serious disagreement with his wife, he won her support for his return to the game only eight and a half months after suffering the stroke. His comeback initially met with much skepticism from the media and fans alike, but Bruschi writes that he was determined to overcome the obstacles thrown up by those ignorant of strokes. He also found a new audience of fans: stroke survivors across the country, many who wrote him letters in support. Bruschi, who went on to play the 2005 and 2006 seasons, is planning to be in the lineup this season as well and is now a spokesman for the American Stroke Association. His story is a compelling and convincing one that will appeal to both football fans and those affected by strokes. (Sept.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Foreword   Tom Brady     ix
Preface     xiii
Acknowledgments     xv
Prologue     1
Tedy Bruschi, Linebacker     11
Growing Up in Cali     33
Tedy Bruschi, Organizational Trainee     53
Body and Soul     75
Tensions at Home     97
Wandering     117
It's All on Us     139
Take Me Home     161
My Inspirations     185
Returning     207
The Super Bowl Mentality     225
Once More into the Breach     243
American Stroke Association and Tedy's Team     267