The Associated Press Tedy Bruschi of the (54) announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday morn- ing. Bruschi has spent 13 years as a linebacker in New England. Patriots’ Bruschi retires Linebacker spent 13 seasons with New England organization

BOSTON (AP) — Tedy Bruschi re- He recovered to play nine of the that played on special teams all the tired after a 13-year career marked last 10 games that season, all starts, way through my entire career, never by an inspiring return to the New and was named The AP Comeback assume what your role is going to be. England Patriots as a starting line- Player of the Year. Just be ready when your coach calls backer eight months after a stroke. Bruschi’s play declined last season on you.” The 36-year-old Bruschi an- and he missed much of this year’s Bruschi played sparingly in the Pa- nounced his retirement at a news con- training camp for undisclosed rea- triots’ three exhibition games. He sat ference Monday morning. sons. out the first game then played against Bruschi, an inside linebacker, Cincinnati in the second. played on all three -win- A third-round draft choice out “Obviously, he’s a very experi- ning Patriots teams. The last cham- of Arizona in 1996, Bruschi worked enced player and knowing what to do pionship game was on Feb. 6, 2005, his way up from a part-time player and all of that isn’t a huge issue” after against the Philadelphia Eagles. and member of special teams units to missing many training camp prac- He played in his only on full-time starter in 1999. tices, coach said after Feb. 13. “I’ve had so many years (when) that game. “But timing and recogni- Three days later, he was hospital- where you are in September is dif- tion and reaction times and all of that, ized after experiencing numbness in ferent than where you are in Decem- that’s something that you can’t train his left arm and left leg and blurry ber,” Bruschi said last week. “So I’ve for. You’ve got to be out there and vision and was diagnosed with a mild learned that ever since I was a third- experience it on the field with your stroke. down situational pass-rushing rookie teammates.”