Fil-Am is NFL Super Bowl Champ

Tedy Lacap Bruschi

Tedy Lacap Bruschi of the undefeated National Football League team New England Patriots is a Filipino-American and proud of his Pinoy roots.

Bruschi, 34, was the Patriots' third round pick in the 1996 draft. The 6-1, 247-pound linebacker has played on three Super Bowl champion teams and was co-Comeback Player of the Year in 2005.

The New England middle linebacker is going to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven attempts as his Patriots team beat the San Diego Chargers in the American Football Conference Championship match. They meet the New York Giants for the Super Bowl Title in two weeks time.

Bruschi is so proud of his Filipino blood that he likes to be known by his full name (including his mothers' maiden name) Tedy Lacap Bruschi.

Bruschi said he and his siblings all use Lacap as their middle name to show respect for their mother.

Tedy's mother is Juanita Lacap, a Filipina who married Anthony Bruschi Sr., an American of Italian descent. Their marriage ended in divorce when Bruschi, the youngest of three children, was only five years old. Juanita was later remarried to Ron Sandys, a professional tennis player.

This top NFL player is an inspiring story, a comeback athlete. In February 2005, Bruschi suffered a mild stroke, traced to a congenital heart defect. He suffered partial paralysis and endured eight months of rehabilitation before making a comeback on the grid. It's incredible that he has fully recovered from the stroke and continues to play for New England.

Last year, Bruschi wrote a book entitled "Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery and My Return to the NFL." He recounted his ordeal, surviving the threat of a life-threatening affliction and bouncing back to play football to win the prestigious Ed Block Courage Award.

Bruschi's story is an inspiration. The fact that he is half-Filipino and proud of it makes him more of a hero in every Filipino's eyes.