Tedy Bruschi Elected to the Patriots Hall of Fame

Patriots.com – The New England Patriots announced today that Tedy Bruschi has been voted by fans as the 19th player and 21st member to enter the Patriots Hall of Fame… It has been a busy month for Bruschi, who, just two weeks ago (May 7), was named to the College Football Hall of Fame… Bruschi joins Drew Bledsoe (2011) and Troy Brown (2012) as the only players to be selected by the fans into the Patriots Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

This had to be the easiest vote in the history of democracy.  With all due respect to the other nominees (Leon Gray and Chuck Fairbanks), this election was like choosing a president when your choices are Lincoln, Nixon or Skroob.  Next to Brown and Tom Brady, no one personified the rise of the Patriots dynasty like Tedy did.  Like them he was underrated, underdrafted, then overachieved.  If someone ever figured out how to weaponize heart and desire, Tedy Bruschi would be the most dangerous man on the planet.

His career stats are good enough, but they don’t do him justice.  Bruschi’s story is best told in the multitude of game- and  season-changing moments.  Tedy was the difference in more games than an NBA ref on the take.  And they’re too many to list here.  But some of my favorites:

*As a rookie, he was a special teamer and sub-package outside linebacker with 11 tackles on the season.  But the first hint he’d be something special came in the Super Bowl vs Green Bay he sacked the loathesome BrettFavre twice.

*By halfway through his third season (1998) he was the starting OLB.  By 2002, he was being voted team captain.  By 2003, he was moved to inside linebacker.  During their championships run of 2001-04, he led the team in tackles.

*Over a two year span he returned four consecutive interceptions for touchdowns (the only NFL player ever to do so), forced two fumbles for touchdowns, and tipped a pass that was intercepted for a touchdown.

*One of his touchdown returns came vs Miami in a blizzard when he knee-walked into the end zone and the crowd spontaneously invented Snow Fireworks.

*He was the undisputed leader of some of the best defensive units the Pats ever had, including the ’03 team that went four consecutive home games (and damn near a fifth) without giving up a TD.

*From 2003-04 he won Defensive Player of the Week five times, including the playoff game when they beat the Colts 20-3.  In that one, Tedy forced a fumble and recovered two.

*The highlight of that game defines Bruschi’s career.  It’s the play when Domenic Rhodes caught a pass and while bringing him down, Tedy got his arms around the ball and ripped it away from Rhodes.  Just and act of pure will.

*In the Super Bowl against the Eagles, with the Pats clinging to a 10-point lead and Philly driving, Bruschi intercepted Donovan McNabb at the Pats 24.

*It was he who gave the Gatorade shower to the two coach Belichicks.

*In 2005 he came back from his stroke in a primetime game against Buffalo.  He had 10 tackles and DPOTW honors.  I happened to be at that game.  If you were there too and didn’t walk around looking like you’d been pepper sprayed, you need a heart transplant.

*I wish like hell I could remember who he did this to (Google search didn’t help), but there was that one play where they were playing some team that had been hyped as the Next Big Thing, so just out of genuine spite, Tedy held up a ball carrier… held him up instead of dragging him to the ground… so Rodney Harrison could come flying in and exact punishment.

*As a testament to his toughness, late in his career he went down in a pile with his knee bent under him like a fully poseable action figure.  It looked like he’d never play again.  But he hopped up, shook it off and didn’t miss a play.

*In the preseason of ’09, he was covering someone on a pass (again, I forget who) and he looked like he was running in a swamp.  Just horribly slow.  He saw the same thing we saw and immediately retired with his dignity intact (looking at you, BrettFavre).  And after he left, the 2009 team had a notoriously bad leadership vacuum.

And finally, the greatest moment of all:

*When Tedy announced his retirement, Belichick called him “The perfect player.  The perfect player.”

When the nominees were announced a few weeks ago I did a radio where they asked me who should get in.  I said if Tedy Bruschi isn’t in the Hall of Fame, then being in the Hall of Fame means nothing.  Today it means everything.  @JerryThornton1

UPDATE: I found the droid I was looking for. Edgerrin James. 6:00 mark. #PatriotsPriapism. (Thanks to @jmandarini911)