Ex-Patriots LB Bruschi 'much better' after stroke

Former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi said Monday that he is "doing much better" following a stroke he suffered last week. In an Instagram post, he shared details about the moment he realized on the morning of the Fourth of July that he had a stroke.

"I lost use of my left arm. I then tried to speak and realized I was slurring my speech. As I turned to my wife she noticed the left side of my face was drooping. We immediately knew what was happening. These are stroke warning signs," he said. Bruschi, now an ESPN analyst, was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, Mass.

He said his recovery is progressing and thanked his well-wishers. "Thank you for all your kind thoughts and prayers. I'm doing much better," Bruschi ended his post.

Bruschi also had a stroke in February 2005, just days after playing in Super Bowl XXXIX, won by the Patriots. He was 31 at the time. He missed the first six weeks of the 2005 season, then played in nine games and won the 2005 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Bruschi, 46, played 13 seasons for the Patriots. He retired before the 2009 season and then went to work for ESPN. Following his first stroke, Bruschi founded Tedy's Team to raise money and awareness about strokes. The organization has raised more than $5 million on behalf of the American Stroke Association since its founding.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)