Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery & My Return to the NFL - Hardcover

Bruschi, Tedy; Holley, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 047010869X ISBN 13: 9780470108697

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2007

Synopsis

"Tedy gives you something to believe in. Whether we're winning or losing, he holds his head high, and he knows himself and handles himself so well, others can't help but follow him. The way he practices and plays forces you to become a better teammate; the way he demands hustle and toughness forces you to become a better leader; and the way he carries himself inspires you to become a better person. This made his return to playing on October 30 against Buffalo all the more electrifying. The stadium was louder that night than the nights we had raised our Super Bowl banners. Our captain, our leader, our inspiration was back on the field doing what he loved to do. Tedy had spent months rehabbing, had countless doctor visits, and had undergone hundreds of tests trying to play again. Just eight months after our victory in Super Bowl XXXIX, here we were celebrating a much bigger victory on our home field. Sure it was great to win the game, but that night we were celebrating Tedy's return as he showed us teammates, fans, family, and friends what it takes to become victorious in life.

"You might be coming to this book as a fan of Tedy's football skills and, don't get me wrong, gaining the insights of one of the best defenders in Patriots history is worth the price of admission, but that's just part of the story. There are a lot of reasons to look up to him, and I promise you will finish this book with an admiration for him on a much deeper level."
--Tom Brady (from the Foreword)

About this title

About the Author

Tedy Bruschi has been a linebacker with the New England Patriots for eleven 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. A former sports columnist who has worked at the Boston Globe and the Chicago Tribune, he currently cohosts the Dale & Holley show on Boston's WEEI, the No.1-rated sports radio station in America.

From the Back Cover

"Tedy gives you something to believe in. Whether we're winning or losing, he holds his head high, and he knows himself and handles himself so well, others can't help but follow him. The way he practices and plays forces you to become a better teammate; the way he demands hustle and toughness forces you to become a better leader; and the way he carries himself inspires you to become a better person. This made his return to playing on October 30 against Buffalo all the more electrifying. The stadium was louder that night than the nights we had raised our Super Bowl banners. Our captain, our leader, our inspiration was back on the field doing what he loved to do. Tedy had spent months rehabbing, had countless doctor visits, and had undergone hundreds of tests trying to play again. Just eight months after our victory in Super Bowl XXXIX, here we were celebrating a much bigger victory on our home field. Sure it was great to win the game, but that night we were celebrating Tedy's return as he showed us teammates, fans, family, and friends what it takes to become victorious in life.

"You might be coming to this book as a fan of Tedy's football skills and, don't get me wrong, gaining the insights of one of the best defenders in Patriots history is worth the price of admission, but that's just part of the story. There are a lot of reasons to look up to him, and I promise you will finish this book with an admiration for him on a much deeper level."
—Tom Brady (from the Foreword)

From the Inside Flap

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.

Reviews

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 © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 047010869X
• ISBN 13: 9780470108697
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 268