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Former LSU star Patrick Queen reportedly played through major flu symptoms vs. Ravens
Former LSU star linebacker Patrick Queen showed big-time courage beyond the normal courage that an NFL player displays every time he suits up.
On Saturday night, Queen put his body and his health on the line with the season on the line for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yes, the Steelers lost the game, 28-14, to the rival Baltimore Ravens as their season came to a crashing end. But amid all of that, Queen played despite having a bad flu, a source told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Monday.
Rapoport reported that Queen received 4 IV bags before the game, went out and played, with playoff intensity, and did it rather well. He had 10 tackles, 6 of them solo, with a tackle-for-loss thrown in.
Queen has been part of the heart and soul of the Steelers’ defense all season, so what he did on Saturday night shouldn’t surprise anyone. He finished the regular season with a whopping 129 tackles, 65 of them solo, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.
Queen played at LSU from 2017-19 and was part of the Tigers’ 2019 national championship team. He was at the center of LSU’s win in the national title game, earning Defensive MVP honors.
Making his effort more inspirational on Saturday was that Queen spent the first 4 seasons of his career with the Ravens. This is his first year with the Steelers. So, Saturday night meant a lot to Queen, which was why he was out there risking his body when he had every excuse to miss the game.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.