Bruschi To Announce His Retirement

"Tedy Bruschi is retiring after a 13-year career marked by an inspiring return to the New England Patriots as a starting linebacker eight months after a stroke. A person familiar with his decision tells the Associated Press that the 36-year-old Bruschi will announce his retirement at a news conference Monday morning. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. The team declined to comment Sunday night and called a news conference "for an important player announcement" Monday morning (Sportsline)."

I had been rumoring it on this site for a couple weeks now that Bruschi was not going to make this team. I think what sealed the deal was during the Patriots game Friday vs. Washington when Bruschi got toasted by Cooley for over 70 yards. He just doesn't have it anymore. I got this text last night from WEEI, and I have wanted Bruschi to retire for about 2-3 years now, but I have to admit a part of me was sad. He is really the last link to the 1996 Super Bowl team. Now it has passed, and it is time, but just for a second it did make me feel sad. Still, it is great to get him finally off the field...

Here are a list of some of his accomplishments...

- Bruschi has played in 189 regular-season games, more than any linebacker in club history. His 631 total tackles over the past six seasons are the most on the team in that period.

- For his career, he had 1,134 tackles, 30½ sacks and 12 interceptions, four of which he returned for touchdowns.

- Bruschi, an inside linebacker, played on all three Super Bowl-winning Patriots teams. The last championship game was on Feb. 6, 2005, against the Philadelphia Eagles. He played in his only Pro Bowl on Feb. 13. Three days later, he was hospitalized after experiencing numbness in his left arm and left leg and blurry vision and was diagnosed with a mild stroke. He recovered to play nine of the last 10 games that season, all starts, and was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year.

- 2 Pro Bowl selections 2004, 2005

- 3 time Super Bowl champion