Product Description

"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)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #280172 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Review
"Of course, Bruschi′s story is an open–ended book. His goal was to tell his story, and raise awareness about the warning signs of strokes. Much like his comeback, Bruschi succeeds on both counts." (The Boston Globe, October 21, 2007)

John Ed Bradley was the rarest of college students, one who knew precisely what he wanted from adulthood. In the spring of 1980 he was slogging through the final semester of his senior year at LSU, looking to fill the emotional void he felt as an ex––football player while straining to distance himself from the game. When a Tigers coach offered him a position as a graduate assistant with the team, Bradley, despite having no job or prospects, turned him down. It was, he said, his "destiny" to be a writer. "I never doubted that playing football here was a privilege," Bradley, who had been an all–SEC center and a Tigers captain, told the coach. "But I also know that if I don′t break from it now, I′ll never break from it."
Bradley recounts the scene in It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium, a bracingly candid memoir about the joys and drawbacks of defining oneself as an ex–athlete. Bradley fulfilled his writerly destiny, going on to become a Washington Post sportswriter, a novelist and frequent contributor to SI. (It Never Rains is based on The Best Years of His Life, an essay he wrote for the magazine in 2002.) But despite his best efforts avoiding former teammates, leaving the room when the Tigers were on TV, refusing to let strangers in on the secret of his athletic past––the former LSU star never fully made the break from football. Having resolved not to become an ex–jock who can′t let go of the glory days, Bradley discovered, as he moved toward middle age, that his fondest memories were also his most haunting. "There are things we never get over," he writes. "And for me football is one of them."
Bradley, the son of a high school coach, isn′t the first athlete to be unnerved by the thought that life off the field isn′t as simple as it is on it. But his honesty and unadorned, bittersweet style make It Never Rains a compelling rumination on the allure of football, for those who watch and those who play, and on the bonds of family, whether they′re forged by birth or in the heat of August two–a–days. "All I ever wanted was to leave a pretty piece of writing behind," is how Bradley sums up his youthful dreams. He has. (Sports Illustrated, September 3, 2007)

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.) (Publishers Weekly, July 30, 2007)

Review
"Of course, Bruschi′s story is an open–ended book. His goal was to tell his story, and raise awareness about the warning signs of strokes. Much like his comeback, Bruschi succeeds on both counts." (The Boston Globe, October 21, 2007)

"Bruschi′s recreation of his illness is compelling, as is his rationalization of why he came back and his response to those who said he shouldn′t." (Sports Illustrated, September 3, 2007)

"His story is a compelling and convincing one that will appeal to both football fans and those affected by strokes." (Publishers Weekly, July 30, 2007)

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.

Customer Reviews

Work Hard, Do Right, Roll with the Punches, Be a Role Model, and Persevere
If you only read one book about a sports star this year, I recommend Never Give Up. This book is Tedy's way of answering the many letters of encouragement and questions he received about his experience of having and recovering completely from a stroke, the first NFL player to do so and return to regular play in the following years.

I had the good fortune to attend the Buffalo Bills game at Gillette Stadium in 2005 when Tedy Bruschi returned to the team. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life . . . as the cheers boomed for miles when he was introduced and everyone held their breaths in silence whenever he made a hit or was in a pile-up. Everyone there was praying for Tedy and his family, hoping that it would be all right. And it was. Thank God!

Rarely do sports present us with role models for being good people these days, but Tedy Bruschi is the exception. Whether you are a child, a recovering stroke patient, or a middle-aged child who loves football, Tedy Bruschi's life and thoughts will make you feel good and teach you something you need to know. Michael Holley is one of our best sports writers, and he takes Tedy's unvarnished integrity and polishes it to a bright message containing many valuable lessons. A portion of the proceeds from the book are being donated to the American Stroke Association.

If you think you know all about Tedy Bruschi, you are wrong. Read this book and you'll realize that there's more to the man than being a hard-working middle linebacker for the Patriots who has recovered from a stroke and is a good family man. Never Give Up provides a philosophy of life that anyone can learn from . . . especially the parts about overcoming emotion and fear to do something that no one has ever done before.

I especially appreciated the candor in the book about the difficulties that his wife, Heidi, and he had in deciding to try to return to football after the stroke. Most people would have covered that up, but Tedy shares it full-throttle knowing that most families will be concerned about the risks of stroke patients becoming physically active again.

If you don't know what the symptoms of a stroke are, they are in the book. Read and remember those symptoms: They could save the life of someone you love.

Naturally, the book explains in detail what happened during 2005 when Tedy had and recovered from his stroke. But you'll also learn about Tedy's youth, his family, how he came to play football, and ended up with the Patriots. The book continues on to describe the 2006 season as well. There's also good behind-the-scenes material about how Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick handled Tedy's initial plans to retire and adjusted to his desire to return to football.

The book has some priceless color photographs of Tedy both as victor and while leaving the hospital, including the famous shot of giving a cold shower to Bill and Steve Belichick in the Super Bowl.

The book opens with a beautiful foreword by Tom Brady that explains what's so special about Tedy.

If you don't already have a 54 jersey, this book will make you want to get and wear one.

God bless Tedy Bruschi and his family!