Patriots still aren't sure if Bruschi will be fully back

	Tedy Bruschi participated in practice on Wednesday, but no hitting was allowed. AP

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Tedy Bruschi is back. That much we know.

But the question of the day, whether Bruschi is all the way back, likely won't be answered for a while longer yet.

Wednesday was the first day of the rest of Bruschi's NFL career -- whatever that winds up entailing -- and it began with perhaps the least challenging opening step possible: A no-contact, no-pads midday practice at the beginning of the New England Patriots' bye week.

That Bruschi was back at work and wearing his familiar No. 54 jersey a little more than eight months after suffering a stroke certainly looked like progress. As the Patriots veteran linebacker probably knows better than anyone, there's no real blueprint to follow regarding the challenge he embarked on at Gillette Stadium.

Has anyone ever gone from football player to stroke victim, and back again? Can it even be done? We're about to find out.

"Coming back from a stroke doesn't happen a lot,'' said Bruschi, addressing a full-fledged media horde in the Patriots locker room before practice. "I want to get the word out that there is life after a stroke. I had a stroke, but like I said before, the key word is had. I've recovered and now I'm ready to resume my life.''

But is he ready to resume his place in the center of a Patriots defense that has been battered and beleaguered this season? We just don't know that yet. Not based on one day and one half-speed workout.

"Only time will tell if he's the old Tedy,'' said Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, Bruschi's teammate for each of his 10 NFL seasons. "We honestly don't know. We'll see. Hopefully he will be. I don't think he'd be willing to come back if he doesn't feel like he's ready to come back, but it's a process. He looks like he's ready to go mentally, and he's excited to do it.''

Taking the practice field right around high noon, Bruschi looked relaxed and in his element as he stretched and chatted with teammate and fellow linebacker Mike Vrabel and Patriots defensive coordinator Eric Mangini. In the 20 minutes or so of the workout open to the media, Bruschi took turns blocking in a few kickoff return drills -- no hitting allowed, and players wore just shorts, jerseys and helmets -- and then he slid to another field and seemed to be positioned with the first-team defense at right inside linebacker.