updated 9:21 p.m. ET Sept. 2, 2005

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. - With his focus on the season opener Thursday night, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick still can look forward to something good in 2006 — the return of linebacker Tedy Bruschi.

Belichick said Friday discussions he’s had with Bruschi, who suffered a mild stroke in February, are similar to the player’s comments in a published interview that he would play in 2006 after skipping the 2005 season.

“I support whatever Tedy does 100 percent. He’s part of the family. We all love him,” Belichick said in a conference call. “The comments that he made are consistent with what we talked about in the past, so we’re going to proceed on that course.”

Bruschi is on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he must miss the first six games of the season that begins with a home game against the Oakland Raiders. He said in the Boston Globe interview that there’s no chance he would play this season, but “I’m definitely playing next year.

“That’s my ace in the hole. It’s a little hard to sit back and watch the guys (this season), but it’s easier knowing I’ve got something to look forward to.”

He has been a vocal and emotional leader of the Patriots teams that won three of the last four Super Bowls, including the last two. He also called defensive signals and was outstanding against both the run and the pass.

He suffered a stroke 10 days after the 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in the Super Bowl — just three days after playing in his first Pro Bowl. He is being paid his $850,000 salary this year and has been working out at Gillette Stadium.

Bruschi broke his silence about his future in an interview with the Globe at his home in North Attleboro.

“I’m definitely playing next year,” he said in the interview from his North Attleborough home. “That’s my ace in the hole. It’s a little hard to sit back and watch the guys (this season), but it’s easier knowing I’ve got something to look forward to.”

“My goal is to play football again, but it wouldn’t have been my goal if my doctors weren’t on board and my family wasn’t on board. They are,” he said in the Globe’s Friday editions.

Bruschi said there’s no chance he will return at any point this season to the Patriots, who kick off their season next Thursday against Oakland at home.

“I need the year to get myself ready,” he said.

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A 250-pound defensive lineman at Arizona who was converted to linebacker as a rookie in 1996, Bruschi was second on the team in total tackles last season with 122 as the Patriots won their second straight Super Bowl and third in four years.

Bruschi confirmed that the stroke was the result of a blood clot that doctors believe traveled through a small hole in his heart. He also confirmed that he underwent a procedure in March to repair it. He said the origin and cause of the clot have never been determined.

Bruschi said he’s finally talking publicly about his ordeal because he wants to educate people about the dangers of strokes. He plans to work with the American Stroke Association.

The morning he had the stroke, he woke up at 4 a.m. experiencing pain in his neck. He shrugged off the pain and returned to sleep. But at 10 a.m. the numbness on his left side persisted, and when he realized he had vision problems, he asked his wife to call 911. His wife, Heidi, erroneously reported in the widely replayed 911 call that the numbness was on the right side.

A CAT scan at Massachusetts General Hospital revealed he had a mild stroke. Because he delayed reporting his symptoms, it was too late for doctors to attempt to break up the clot, he said.

“The thing that people don’t understand is you have three hours once you think you are experiencing a stroke to do something about it,” Bruschi said. “If you can get to the hospital right away, you can get a clot-busting drug that could save your life.”

He said people with symptoms such as numbness on one side, slurred speech, loss of balance, should go to the hospital.

“Don’t do what I did,” he said. “Don’t go back to sleep. Get to the hospital as quickly as possible.”

Bruschi said he feels great, but won’t rush back.

He said the stroke resulted from a blood clot doctors believe traveled through a small hole in his heart. He also said he underwent a procedure in March to repair the hole and that the origin and cause of the clot have not been determined.

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