Pats' Bruschi, Panthers' Smith battle back from injuries

Associated Press
The Christmas season arrived and Tedy Bruschi thought again about his trials of 2005.
A stroke. Uncertainty about when -- if ever -- he would play again. His gradual progress to walk normally and regain his strength and then agonizing over when to return to a sport where he collides with 300-pound opponents.
"With the new year turning," he said Thursday, "and the holidays, you have time to reflect. Sometimes in life you've got to get through certain things and there are tough obstacles to overcome and this was one in my life. And I'm happy to be able to stand here in front of you now and say, 'It was overcome and I'm back to being who I am."'
The Bruschi standing before reporters was still the defensive leader of the two-time defending champion New England Patriots. He also shared a new title -- The Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year.
The votes
He and wide receiver Steve Smith of Carolina received 18 votes each from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. Smith led the NFL in most receiving categories after missing almost all of the 2004 season with a broken left leg.
"I think Steve would agree that it's been a long road for him and me to get back," Bruschi said. "To be recognized for it is an honor and you don't want to get this type of award every year."
Bruschi played nine games this season and is still going. Despite a left calf injury, he's expected to play in Saturday night's wild-card playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Foxborough.
Last Feb. 6, he won his third Super Bowl in four years, then played in the first Pro Bowl on Feb. 13. On Feb. 16, he was hospitalized after experiencing numbness in his left arm and left leg and blurry vision and was diagnosed with a mild stroke. Surgery to repair a hole in his heart followed and, as he got better, he kept working out and attending meetings with teammates.
Still, in September, he said he wouldn't play this season. But he kept improving, was cleared by doctors and decided to give it a try.
So on Oct. 30, Bruschi was back at inside linebacker before home fans in a 21-16 win over the Buffalo Bills.
"To not give it a shot was something that would have eaten me up five, 10 years down the road," he said. "So I was like, 'Let's just do it now and not wait because I've been cleared to do it."'
Smith had lingering questions
As for Smith, there were times last year when he wondered what kind of NFL career he'd have after his broken left leg healed.
Would he still be as fast as he was before the injury? Still capable of beating a defender on a deep route? Still able to leap high enough to bring down a wayward pass?
The answer is a resounding yes.
Smith's recovery went so well, he returned to the Carolina Panthers a better receiver than he was before the injury.
It's an honor Smith was able to appreciate when told about it. But before the injury, any sort of honor may have been lost on him.
"Last year when I got hurt, that was the best thing that happened to me," Smith said. "I was so concerned on 'I wasn't doing this and I wasn't getting this.' I just kind of got caught up into the moment.
"With me getting hurt, it gave me an opportunity to look back and really look at keeping focus on what football really is."
Smith ended the 2005 regular season as the NFL leader with 1,563 yards receiving and tied for first with 103 catches and 21 touchdowns -- all career highs.
He broke nine team records in all and had breakout games against some of the best defensive backs in the game, including 11 catches for 201 yards against Minnesota's Fred Smoot.
"I've only had two productive years at wide receiver," Smith said. "I think I have a long way to go before I am even considered top five [among NFL receivers]."
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