The New England Patriots are pulling out all the stops for their final home game of the season.
The team announced Friday that former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi will serve as New England’s honorary captain Sunday for its AFC Championship Game matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium.
Bruschi, a three-time Super Bowl champion and member of the Patriots Hall of Fame, is a pretty obvious choice to be honorary captain. But apparently there’s a little superstition involved in the Patriots’ selection: According to the team, New England is 8-0 in games during which Bruschi has been honored.
The string of success started on Sept. 9, 2009, when the Patriots paid tribute to Bruschi and others while celebrating the franchise’s 50th anniversary and went on to beat the Buffalo Bills, 25-24. After New England thrashed the New York Jets 45-3 on “Tedy Bruschi Night” in Dec. 2010, the team brought him back to serve as the honorary captain for the 2011 AFC Championship Game.
The Patriots, of course, won that game 23-20 after Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal.
Bruschi also was on hand during New England’s latest Super Bowl run, serving as an honorary captain for its 2014 AFC Championship Game win over the Indianapolis Colts and for its Super Bowl XLIX victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
The Patriots are hoping Bruschi can bring them a little more luck Sunday against the Steelers — even if their head coach doesn’t put quite the same weight in superstitions.
UPDATE (3:45 p.m. ET):Â The Steelers have countered with their own fan favorite, naming former wide receiver Hines Ward their honorary captain for Sunday.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
