FOXBORO –– Patriots quarterback Tom Brady did not make the trip to Tampa Bay with the rest of his teammates last night, to rest a foot injury, team spokesman Stacey James said last night.

James said he did not know which foot was bothering Brady.

Brady did not take part in the Patriots’ practice on Friday afternoon, though he did practice on Thursday.

In the days before Super Bowl XLII earlier this year, Brady was photographed in New York City wearing a walking boot on his right foot. He vowed that he would be ready to play against the New York Giants, and he did. During mini-camp in June, Brady declared the ankle to be fine.

Ruud awakening

Even as they teamed to win state titles together at Lincoln (Neb.) Southeast High, even as they both suited up for the University of Nebraska, even though their father played four years in the National Football League, Bo and Barrett Ruud never dreamed that one day they both might end up in the NFL.

But tonight, the brothers will be on opposite sidelines at Raymond James Stadium as Barrett’s Buccaneers and Bo’s New England Patriots play each other in an exhibition game.

“I’m excited,” Bo said after practice this week. “This will be the first time I ever play against him on another team, so this will be kind of special.”

Tom Ruud, who played with the Bills for three years and then with the Bengals for a season in the 1970s, will be in the stands as well. The boys and sister Kim lost their mother, Jaime, a noted dietician, to a heart attack in June 2006.

Barrett Ruud became a full-time starter for the Bucs last year and enjoyed a breakout season at middle linebacker; he recorded 169 tackles and was the NFC defensive player of the month for September.

Bo, the Patriots’ sixth-round draft pick, is at the other end of the NFL spectrum: He’s just hoping to make the team. Bo began training camp on the physically unable to perform list, losing valuable on-field practice time. He returned to the field Aug. 2.

The brothers talk often, mostly about life.

“We talk almost every day, and we just talk about life and all that stuff,” Bo said. “But if I need some advice from another guy that’s been through a lot, he’ll help me. He’ll tell me some of his experiences and what to look for and it really does help a lot.

“He’s definitely an established guy who’s really one of the top middle linebackers in the league and I’m just a guy right now fighting to make a team. The opportunities are different and we’re both just happy to get our chances and make the most of it. That’s our attitudes about it.”

Bo has been working to catch up with the other Pats’ players and concentrating on doing what’s asked of him to the best of his ability. He has lined up at linebacker with the second- and third-team defense and also plays special teams.

Asked what it was like for himself and Barrett growing up, Bo chuckles at the thought of him — as a 180-pound sophomore — playing fullback for Barrett, who was then a 240-pound senior halfback. The pair helped lead Lincoln Southeast to a state title that year.

As they had no-holds barred battles in their basement and backyard growing up, Bo says, they weren’t dreaming of becoming professional football players.

“I honestly never thought about that,” Bo said. “Truthfully, for me in high school, I just wanted to be as good as I could. Same with college. And now I’ve got an opportunity and I’m just trying to make the most of it. I never thought about any of this stuff to this degree.”

But tonight, Bo Ruud will don a Patriots uniform for the second time and his brother Barrett will suit up for the Buccaneers, for one night their most unlikely scenario a reality.

smanza@projo.com