Tedy Bruschi Quotations

Would I ever see again? That was one of my biggest concerns,

Since Day One, I've been impressed with him, ... When a new guy comes in, I want to check him out and see how he is, see how his attitude is, see if he's willing to be one of us the way we are in this locker room. With Corey, I remember talking to him in the parking lot, talking to him in the locker room and seeing where his mind was at. It was always in the right place, I felt. Never did I think, 'Maybe I should talk to this guy a little more and let him know how it is around here.' I felt he understood how it is from the beginning.

I'd like to get out there and see,

I couldn't let Rodney (Harrison) getting hurt affect it. I couldn't let any type of loss affect it because what I was doing was so important to me and because there was no way I was going to be able to help them anyway if I wasn't able to perform the way I felt I was capable.

I couldn't let how the team was doing affect my mindset on my rehabilitation,

Getting this game under my belt meant a lot to me. There was so much going into this. I didn't just jump into this. I physically prepared myself the best I could.

Whatever my coach decides to do, I trust that.

He showed me he's a player. It would have been easy to pack it in early. But he kept coming. I think he's a guy, if you're a Carolina fan, you have hope you have a good one there.

His style of running is the way I think a running back should run, ... With power, hitting the holes and dragging people 5 extra yards. That's the type of running back I admire. When he came here I was happy about it. I know he's had some troubles in the past, but things are going right for him now and I'm happy to see him hit this milestone.

Has it ever been this quiet in here? I don't think it has, ... I think 'shocked' is the word. ... You sort of just shake your head and ask yourself, 'Why?'

I wouldn't be standing here in front of you if I didn't think I could play football, ... I know my physical abilities are here. I think my 10 years of experience will help also. I know what it looks like, I know how to react to it, just from experience.

I think the true football fan will have plenty to watch on Super Bowl Sunday. The chance to see two quality defenses go at it is a part of football.

I think Steve would agree that it's been a long road for him and me to get back. To be recognized for it is an honor and you don't want to get this type of award every year.

We've checked and checked and checked and every doctor or physician that's seen me has given me clearance,

I've been doing everything I could possibly do except for putting the pads on, ... 'I had to make myself ready first and I believe I did that.

I've talked with a lot of people and heard a lot of opinions,

The thing that people don't understand is you have three hours once you think you are experiencing a stroke to do something about it. If you can get to the hospital right away, you can get a clot-busting drug that could save your life.

Schematically, it doesn't really change things. We'll still do a lot of the same things, but guys will just be asked to sort of do different things.

Schematically, it doesn't really change things, ... We'll still do a lot of the same things, but guys will just be asked to sort of do different things.

After I was able to complete workouts and run the conditioning workouts over and over again, I knew this was going to happen, ... I'm not going to jump into something without being absolutely 100 percent positive. And I am.

This isn't my decision, this is our decision, ... I wouldn't do this to my wife. She's been with me since the beginning. We've come to this conclusion together.

It was a traumatic experience, ... It's a long road back. So I'm not going to jump back in unless I'm absolutely 100 per cent positive I'm ready. And I am.

It's the No. 1 stat that we have to win. We always want to get the ball. Make tackles and get the ball.

It's been discouraging at times, to tell you the truth. To see Willie go, especially, and to see Adam go, too. I've been with Willie and Adam for a long time. I spoke with both and wished them well. But the bottom line is this: Move on. We're going to miss them, but they're not going to help us win any football games so I can't focus on who's not here.

I want to help this team any way I can, ... They tell me I can play, I know I can play, so, shoot, let's just play.

I want to help this team any way I can,

I'm not setting any because I'm sort of doing something I've never done before and that's jump into a season six, seven weeks in.

I made some progress out there. I feel good with my conditioning level. It's where it needs to be, I think. Game shape is another thing, but we'll cross that road when we come to it.

I'm looking forward to seeing him in the NFL next year, but I'm not looking forward to tackling him.

I have no type of reservations, ... I think I've done ... everything that I had to do to make sure that my confidence level is high for when I need to stick my face in there. I'm going to stick it in and I'm going to stick it in hard.

I'm back playing the game that I love.

I guess there are some unicorns out there, somewhere.

I had a good amount of nerves. If you haven't done something in a long time, you always have some nerves the first time back. I had some good reads and had some bad reads. All of that comes with (this) being the first day (back).

I just think (it was) my rehabilitation process, ... I just kept getting better - I kept getting stronger. Workouts improved. Just every day the progress that I made just continued to get better and better, and all of a sudden I came to the point where ... they tell me I can play, I feel like I can play, shoot I know I can play, so lets just play.

I can play linebacker, that's all, ... We all have our own individual jobs to do and, right now, we all have to get better at doing them.

I feel I can play linebacker. That's all that I can do, ... I can't play cornerback. I can't play safety. I can't play offensive line.

I'm definitely playing next year. That's my ace in the hole. It's a little hard to sit back and watch the guys [this season], but it's easier knowing I've got something to look forward to.

I couldn't let how the team was doing affect my mindset on my rehabilitation because I sort of believe I had to take it upon myself that my rehabilitation and getting myself 100 percent healthy had to be first and foremost, before the team, in my mind,

I'm a football player by trade. That's what I do, ... So I did everything I could to make myself a football player again.

There was a time in my recuperation and healing where I just had to tell myself it is just time to get up and live your life the way you want to live,

The week preceding the game is just as important, if not more important, to prepare yourself mentally to make sure you know the ins and outs of the opposition. It's all about getting ready for Jacksonville. It's a one-game season.