Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery, and My Return to the NFL

"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)

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.