Tedy Bruschi – He’s All Heart

Its not supposed to happen to someone who is 31. Its not supposed to happen to an athlete at the top of his physical peak. More to the point, It shouldn’t have happened to one of the real good guys in football and a man who plays the game with all heart . An example that many others in sports should follow.

It is being reported that Tedy Bruschi’s mild stroke suffered last month is now awaiting heart surgery.

WCVB reported that Bruschi first learned of the hole in his heart during his hospital stay Feb. 16. According to the Globe, doctors said a hole in his heart could be an important clue why Bruschi — a 31-year-old Pro Bowl player in the prime of his career — had a stroke. The stroke caused numbness, blurred vision and severe headaches.

According to specialists interviewed by the Globe, a hole in the heart can allow small blood clots that otherwise would be absorbed in the lungs to pass from one chamber of the heart to another, and then travel to the brain. Clots would be harmless elsewhere in the body but in the brain can become wedged in narrow vessels, blocking blood flow and causing a stroke.

For 9 seasons Tedy Bruschi has played in a manner that has made football purists proud. Why watch ESPN Classic to see how they used to play with fire, heart and sole when you have Bruschi. Bruschi is one of those players that just seems too small and too slow yet he winds up involved in every big defensive play during a game. He has the uncanny knack of always being around the ball. It is in the realm of a Greek tragedy that a man that plays with all heart would wind up with a heart defect that will most likely end his career too soon for all who enjoy watching football. “Further, nobody will ever forget how his zeal for the game permeated itself amongst his teammates and made them play at higher levels because they were on the same field as Tedy.”

We Wish Tedy and the Bruschi family our prayers and the blessings of continued health. It is no longer about returning to the New England Patriots next season to try for an unprecedented three Super Bowls in a row. Its is about returning to what is most important, your wife, children, family and friends safe and healthy. God Bless.