A Tribute to...Tedy Bruschi

One of Boston's most popular athletes, Tedy Bruschi today went out with the same class and personality that made him so revered in New England.

Bruschi's retirement press conference just wrapped up and the man who made so many plays for the Patriots over the years left with grace and on his terms. There will be no Brett Favre saga, here.

Bruschi -- or Bruuuuuu as he become known in Foxboro -- had an illustrious 13 years in the NFL, all with the Patriots. During that time he was a free agent twice. Only once did he ever visit stadiums outside of Foxboro. But he never left. He visited Green Bay, but once he came in and saw the Packers' Lombardi trophy from 1996, he knew were he belonged.

Bill Belichick loved this man. He nearly broke down in today's press conference, his voice cracking as he referred to Bruschi as a "perfect player." Whenever you can make Billy B, the autotron, the ruthless prick robot, nearly shed a tear, you must be pretty special.

And Bruschi was. He slowed so noticeably over the past couple years, that you almost forget how good he was in his prime. Back when the Patriots were winning Super Bowls every year they were known for defense. Different players stood out from year to year, whether it was Rodney Harrison, Ty Law, Richard Seymour or Willie McGinest, but one player remained at the forefront of the D for the entire span of the dynasty: Bruschi.

This was back when the Pats defense, not offense, was perennially in the top 5 of the league, when you could plead for a turnover at a critical juncture in the game and more often than not, someone would deliver. Many times it was Bruschi. The unquestioned leader of the defense, he spent the majority of his time closing the gaps or in coverage, a far cry from his pass-rushing duties at the University of Arizona. But no matter where he was on the field, he constantly made plays:



Plus he was a good guy off the field. Parents loved the guy. An actual pro athlete role model. He did charity work. He was a family man. He worked hard. He came back from a stroke to excel for another season or two before age and miles on the football odometer eventually caught up.

He did become sort of a gimmick the last few years, just because as the Pats' defense slipped and become a step slower, so did Bruschi. He was beloved by the overweight white dad slugging Miller Lites and it was always a little humorous to hear that he was still someone's favorite player.

But with retirement comes perspective. And looking back on his 13 years with the Patriots, a run that included one Pro Bowl but more impressively five Super Bowl appearances and three titles, you cannot help but realize the role that #54 played in your lives for three hours each and every Sunday.

So here's to you, Tedy Bruschi, the Brumeister, WKFTB remains grateful for what you brought to the table. We salute you -- and so does the rest of New England.

--Nick