A three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, Joe Andruzzi brings his tenacity and commanding leadership as an offensive lineman to the fight against cancer.
That fight became personal for Joe in 2000, when he befriended CJ Buckley, an exuberant teenager with an inoperable brain tumor. CJ died in 2002 at age 17. Soon after, Joe and his wife Jen launched their CJ Buckley Brain Cancer Research Fund at Children’s Hospital Boston and by 2006 raised more than $450,000 for the fund.
The following year, Joe faced his own cancer. He was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, which, after receiving intensive treatment, has been brought into remission.
In 2008, Joe and Jen started the Joe Andruzzi Foundation and raised $500,000 for cancer research and grants to ease the financial burden on patients and their families. They also participate in Jimmy Fund events, the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge and other cancer-related charities.
“Our foundation is committed to helping others fight the toughest fight of their lives,” says Joe.
