Memory Lane with Bruschi

NORTON – Taking a walk down Memory Lane with linebacker Tedy Bruschi can lead one to a variety of Patriots places.

Prior to teeing off at the fifth-annual Spaulding Rehabilitation golf tournament at the TPC-Norton today, the 35-year-old Bruschi was reflecting on being a lifetime Patriot – which led him to a story of when he considered leaving the club.

The year was 2000, and Bruschi had just concluded his fourth NFL season. He was an unrestricted free agent.

“I was taking trips, going to Cleveland, going to Green Bay, and going to other places, and had other offers,” Bruschi recalled. "We hadn't experienced a lot of success and you just have to see [what's] out there. That's what free agency is for and I wanted to experience it a little bit."

In the end, however, Bruschi said he asked himself the following question: “Why would I go somewhere else?”

He said that thought is tied to an approach he’s adopted throughout his life.

“I think it’s easier to jump ship than to right the ship,” he said. “I’ve had opportunities to go somewhere else – it wasn’t during this era – and I think that would have been the easy way out. Why don’t you stay where you are and fix the problems you have here, and make it better where you are right now? That’s sort of the philosophy I’ve sort of stuck with my entire career.”

Taking that approach has helped Bruschi become one of the more revered athletes in Patriots history, while also helping him establish a strong connection with those in the New England community.

His presence at today’s golf tournament was one example of this.

“I think this is a partnership, with Spaulding, that I’ll have for a long time in my life -- for the commitment they gave me to help me rehabilitate, to play football again,” he said. “At a time I needed them, they were there.”