FOXBOROUGH - Tedy Bruschi thanked his wife, his owner, his coach, his teammates, his agent, his trainer, his brother, and his fans.
He got it wrong. We all should be thanking him.
In a way that athletes seldom really do, he gets it. He had it when he walked in here 13 years ago and he refined it to the point where yesterday’s farewell is now the gold standard of gracious goodbyes. He’s had it on the field, he’s had it in the locker room, and he’s got it off the field.
He deserved everything good that’s happened to him. He worked for it all as a Patriots linebacker, and he’s been humble throughout and generous in sharing his knowledge. Bob Kraft tells us that Jerod Mayo attached himself to Bruschi last year. So we are not exactly surprised to learn that the young linebacker is already an acknowledged team leader in just his second season, are we?
Tedy Bruschi deserved to hear his owner label him as someone “who has handled every stage of his career with complete class.’’ He likewise deserved to hear his coach, Bill Belichick, say that he is “the epitome of everything you would want in a football player,’’ before going on to utter the ultimate, calling him the “perfect player.’’
Most of all, he deserved to see his normally impassive coach come close to breaking down completely at least twice while discussing his appreciation and admiration for what Bruschi has meant to both him and the Patriots these past 13 years. Seeing Bill Belichick in that state is the greatest compliment of all.
No, no, no, we should be thanking Tedy Bruschi because, after listening to his owner and his coach pay tribute to him he stepped up and outdid them both, expressing his gratitude for the way things have turned out in a manner that places him in the top 1 percent of likeable athletes.
How refreshing it was to hear a player who has accomplished great things express himself in a manner that was both exuberant and dignified.
Far from this being a sad day, he explained, this was a joyous one. “Over my career,’’ he said, “I’ve worked so hard to have this day become a celebration. This would be so much harder if I had more goals to accomplish. The one word I would use to sum it all up is ‘fulfilled.’ It’s a celebration. I’m in a good place.’’
If he’s bitter, upset, or frustrated because he no longer has a viable role on the team, then he’s a spectacular actor. What he did say was that his time has come; that’s all.
“I’m 36,’’ he said. “I realize I’m getting old. But, like I said, this would be different if I had anything left to accomplish.’’
