The Brace family is especially proud of Ron for his fund-raising efforts after the June 1 tornado ravaged Springfield, according to his aunt and father.
Springfield native Ron Brace, a defensive lineman with the New England Patriots, is seen at Springfield College in June at the time the Patriots announced that the team would be matching up to $100,000 in relief for tornado victims in Massachusetts.SPRINGFIELD – The Brace family has dared to dream for a long time, but it still took a long time for them to become true believers.
“For me, it set in after Ron’s sophomore year at Boston College. That’s when I began thinking things could really move,” says Ronald J. Brace Jr., the father of New England Patriots defensive lineman Ron Brace. “I didn’t want to bank on it, though. I tried to keep an even keel.”
If the Brace family moves off that even keel tonight, it will be impossible to blame them. Ronald J. Brace III, of the New England Patriots, will be in the Super Bowl.
“It all became real for me in his last year of college,” added Rhonda M. Brace, the player’s aunt. “That’s when it kind of hit me. Wow!”
Rhonda Brace is in Indianapolis for the big game. It was not easy for the Springfield resident, a corporate tax auditor for the state of Connecticut, to juggle work and personal plans.
But, she was not about to miss the moment. “I’m the family’s only representative. I’m glad it worked out that way,” Rhonda Brace said.
“I remember when Ron was drafted in 2009. Here he is, on the phone with (Patriots owner) Bob Kraft and (coach) Bill Belichick,” she recalled. ““We were not looking for his name to be called. We were just awestruck, and so ecstatic.”
Get full coverage of Super Bowl XLVI from MassLive.com & The Republican. More »
- Rob Gronkowski takes part in Patriots walkthrough
- Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul: Tom Brady is not 'God'
- UMass prepares for potential of post-Super Bowl riot
- WMass well-represented: Springfield's Ron Brace | Amherst's James Ihedigbo | Giants' Victor Cruz
- 5 underrated story lines that will have an impact
- 5 reasons they could win: Patriots | Giants
- Do the Patriots still own the big-game experience?
- Underhill: Giants pass rush vs. Patriots O-line the key
- Chimelis: Once an annual stinker, the Super Bowl has become a great game
- Make your pick: Who's going to win Super Bowl XLVI?
- What is your favorite Super Bowl memory?
- Video: Springfield residents make their picks
Giants coverage from NJ.com »
- Can Tom Brady sneak on New York Giants?
- The Maras: New York Giants and NFL history
- Complete Super Bowl XLVI coverage from NJ.com
Brace’s father said the family was certainly not expecting a call from the hometown NFL team. He spoke with his son last week, but only briefly.
“He’s getting bombarded. I spoke with him for about five minutes, only minimal because he was going to a meeting,” Brace Jr. said.
The father is staying in Springfield to host a Super Bowl party at his Indian Orchard home. His pride in his son, whose given name is Ronald J. Brace III, goes far beyond tackles and other stats.
“I’m a facility administrator of the Westfield (Department of) Youth Services center. I use Ron as incentive for these kids,” the player’s father said. “We deal with kids that get in trouble and get arrested. Most of the news we get is negative.
“For them to see positive news like this is so important, and it’s big news,” he said. “They’ve been asking me if I can get an autograph for them.”
Ron Brace Jr., was a football star in his own right. In the 1980s, he played for High School of Commerce , where he was a premier running back who averaged 12 tackles a game on the defensive side.
His son competes in a different world.
“It’s hard not to worry about him getting hurt. He’s being double-teamed by two 300-pound linemen,” Brace Jr. said. “He has had to fight through some injuries, but I knew he’d be back. I was sure of it.”
Now 25, Ron Brace lived in Springfield until he was 12.
“He stayed with me and my mother,” said Rhonda Brace.
Brace’s father said that when a job opportunity opened in Worcester, he moved to that city with his son, who played high-school football at Worcester Burncoat.
Ron Brace Jr., father of Patriots lineman Ron Brace, holds his son's No. 97 jersey as Rhonda Brace, the football player's aunt, holds a photo They will be cheering him on as he plays in Super Bowl XLVI today.Rhonda Brace said the family has been fortunate that Ron has stayed close to home, first by attending Boston College and then after being drafted by the Patriots.
He went in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, the 40th pick overall. The family had not allowed itself to count on Brace being drafted at all, let alone with such a high pick.
He has been used in various positions on the defensive line, including defensive end and nosetackle.
The Brace family is especially proud of Ron for his fund-raising efforts after the June 1 tornado ravaged Springfield, according to his aunt and father.
“It was really nice how Ron came through. He had come back and driven through the old neighborhood in Six Corners to see what had happened,” Rhonda Brace said. “He saw for himself, and he understood what we were going through, the kids and their families.”
Watching Brace and the Patriots play is a thrill, his aunt said. It is also a nerve-wracking experience.
It hit a peak in the AFC Championship game, when the Patriots held off the Baltimore Ravens 23-20. A missed Ravens field goal in the final seconds sent New England to its first Super Bowl since 2008, two seasons before Brace was drafted.
“I did not want that game to go into overtime,” Rhonda Brace said.
She planned on absorbing the cultural opportunities in Indianapolis, which is especially rich in museums and American Indian lore. There is also the NFL Experience, an interactive theme park for fans attending the Super Bowl.
“I want to see what Indianapolis is all about,” she said.
Like her nephew, however, Rhonda Brace has made the trip with one goal in mind.
“I am ready for the game,” she said. “I am looking forward to all the activities, but most of all, I am looking for Ron to come back with a ring.”