After concussion, DL Deatrich Wise gets OK to play in Super Bowl

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — He was The Other Guy Who Had To Be Cleared.

Patriots rookie defensive lineman Deatrich Wise, who suffered a concussion in the AFC title game against the Jaguars, was one of two New England players who were cleared to return on Thursday, along with tight end Rob Gronkowski. And as usual, the affable Wise was all smiles when he got the news.


“(Head trainer Jim Whalen) called me in and told me I was good. I talked to a doctor and had to answer some questions,” he said. “But once I got the OK, I was happy. I went into practice with some extra energy.”

Wise has gone through concussion issues before. He suffered a head injury in the preseason, one that left him sidelined for a couple of weeks. Because of what happened this summer, he was able to understand that the process is more about being patient than anything else.

“For me, it wasn’t frustration. I knew what I had to do. I knew what I was when it came to the protocol. It was all about patience,” said Wise, who finished the regular season with five sacks. “The doctors can only do so much. They gave to let the brain heal. It’s a real delicate thing up there. I knew with time that would get better. The doctors were great — they let me know what to eat, how to sleep, to make sure how the brain heals properly. I just took it all in.

“I knew what to expect. The treatment process. The questions. I knew everything about it. I just knew it was out of my hands,” he added. “I was honest with all the questions, and I’m here now.”