Former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi had an incredible professional career in the NFL, but he's not the only athlete in his family.
The former expert in making tackles is married to a former USA National Volleyball Team player and softball national champion. They also have three sons, two of which play football. Who is Mrs. Bruschi, and who are their children?
Tedy Bruschi's Wife Heidi Bruschi
Heidi Bomberger Bruschi was born in Nebraska and moved to Tucson, Arizona, at an early age. Bomberger took a liking to volleyball and was soon winning Arizona High School Player of the Year awards at Sahuaro High School.
Bomberger was a multi-sport athlete at the University of Arizona, where she earned a full-ride scholarship. She competed on both the Wildcat women's volleyball and softball teams. Her volleyball teams made three straight NCAA tournament appearances, and she earned Academic All-American honors her junior season.
On the softball diamond, she won the Women's College Softball National Championship with the Arizona Wildcats in 1996. (The Wildcat Women's softball teams also won National Championships in 1993, 1994 and 1997, though we cannot confirm if Heidi was on any of these squads.) What is confirmable is that Heidi met her future husband at the University of Arizona, rising football star Tedy Bruschi.
Heidi graduated from the U of A with a bachelor's degree in special education and rehabilitation. She married Tedy in 1997.
The Bruschis moved to New England after college, where Heidi found work as the girl's volleyball team coach for Walpole High School in Massachusetts.
When Tedy suffered a stroke in 2005, Heidi took on the role of caregiver and advocate. Alongside her husband, she's the co-founder of Tedy's Team, a foundation committed to raising stroke awareness and funding for research.
In March 2020, Heidi Bruschi accepted the head coaching role at Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro, Massachusetts, where she had been an assistant for several seasons. It's the same high school her three sons attended: T.J., Rex and Dante Bruschi.
Tedy Bruschi's Children
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T.J. Bruschi graduated from Bishop Feehan High School in 2019. His younger brother Rex Bruschi graduated in 2020. The youngest brother, Dante Bruschi, is on track to graduate in 2023. Not much is known about T.J. Bruschi beyond that his name stands for Tedy Bruschi Jr.
Rex Bruschi followed in his father's footsteps as a football player, playing linebacker for the Bishop Beehan High School football team. Ultimately, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound linebacker traded the football for a lacrosse stick and now plays college lacrosse for Division III Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts.
Dante Bruschi also plays football. Similar to his father, he is a 6-foot, 220-pound middle linebacker and fullback at Bishop Feehan High School, set to graduate in 2023.
Tedy Bruschi's Career
A defensive captain from the @Patriots dynasty turns 48 today. Happy birthday to @TedyBruschi!
? 3x Super Bowl Champion
? 2005 Comeback Player of the Year
? 1,110 tackles + 30.5 sacks + 12 INTs
? 5 career touchdowns pic.twitter.com/9ToGUmVIYS— NFL Throwback (@nflthrowback) June 9, 2021
Tedy Lacap Bruschi was born in San Francisco, California, to a Filipino mother and Italian father. Bruschi played high school football at Roseville High School, just north of Sacramento. Bruschi was a natural-born athlete and competed in football, wrestling and track.
Bruschi played college football for the University of Arizona Wildcats football team. Aside from meeting his future wife there, Bruschi had an outstanding college football career. Since graduating, Bruschi has been elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Bruschi's professional career was somehow more illustrious. Bruschi spent his entire playing career with the New England Patriots, who selected Bruschi 86th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft (the same year his future wife won a national title.)
He's a three-time Super Bowl champion, claiming victories in Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX, respectively. Bruschi was named to the Pro Bowl in 2004 after earning two All-Pro team selections in a row. He also won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2005.
That year was a hard one for Tedy Bruschi's personal life as he suffered an unexpected stroke. Bruschi amazingly made an NFL comeback, wrote a book titled "Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery, and My Return to the NFL" and retired from professional football in 2009 after 13 seasons. His name resides in the New England Patriots Hall of Fame today.
Tedy Bruschi now devotes his time to his family life, ESPN and his foundation. He and his wife Heidi have participated in the Boston Marathon twice. The former professional American football player unfortunately suffered from a second stroke in 2019 but has since again made a full recovery. Bruschi has a reported net worth of $12 million in 2021.
