Tedy Bruschi

The emotional leader of the Patriots defense gave New England a real scare when he suffered a mild stroke just ten days after winning the 2005 Super Bowl. Eight months later, Bruschi returned to the field, joining his teammates to make two tackles (and assisting on five others) in a 21-16 victory over Buffalo. The Patriots rebounded from a 3-3 start without Bruschi to finish the season 10-6, claiming the AFC East title serving notice that they are still a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.