Tedy Bruschi suffered a stroke Thursday but is ‘recovering well,’ his family says

The family of Tedy Bruschi issued a statement Friday saying that the former New England Patriots linebacker and current ESPN analyst is “recovering well� after suffering a stroke the previous day.

“Yesterday afternoon, Tedy had a stroke, known as a TIA,� his family said in a statement tweeted by Bruschi’s foundation, Tedy’s Team. “He recognized his warning signs immediately: arm weakness, face drooping and speech difficulties. Tedy is recovering well, and would like to thank the nurses, doctors and staff at Sturdy Memorial Hospital for all they have done.�

Bruschi spent all 13 of his NFL seasons with the Patriots. Days after winning his third Super Bowl with the team in February 2005, the one-time Pro Bowler suffered a mild stroke. In a 2014 article for Men’s Health, Bruschi wrote that he had a patent foramen ovale, basically a small hole in his heart, and had surgery to repair the congenital heart defect following his stroke.

He and the Patriots had initially announced he would miss the 2005 season as part of his recovery, but Bruschi ended up playing 10 games that season.

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“No one had ever come back to the NFL after a stroke,� Bruschi wrote in 2014. “I asked my doc, ‘If I get hit, what’s going to happen?’ And the doctors said, ‘Man, this is something you just have to go through, Tedy.’ So I buckled up and said, ‘Let’s go.’ �

Bruschi played three more seasons after that and retired following the 2008 season. He was inducted into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame in 2013.

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