Former Vols DT Albert Haynesworth nearly died in November 2014
By Nick Cole
Published:
Former Vols DT Albert Haynesworth nearly died in November of 2014 due to complications from brain aneurysms, according to a report from ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky.
The former NFL first-round pick and All-Pro, who is now 34 years old, shared his story with Nashville radio station 104.5 The Zone on Thursday:
“Nobody really knows, I almost died,” he said while attending the Ohio Valley Conference women’s basketball tournament at Municipal Auditorium. “I had two brain aneurysms that were nearly rupturing. I went and talked to my doctor in Florida, and he was like, ‘Man, your blood pressure is through the roof. I’m going to admit you.’ They did a lot of tests and found the aneurysm that was rupturing at that point.”
According to the report, Haynesworth underwent surgery that ultimately saved his life and spent 11 days in the intensive care unit of a Fort Lauderdale hospital.
Haynesworth’s comments to the radio station painted a pretty bad picture.
He says he has trouble with his memory, has difficulty answering questions, remembering how to sign his name and sometimes just doesn’t feel as sharp as he feels he should on things like problem-solving.
Haynesworth played for the Vols from 1999-2001 before becoming the No. 15 pick of the 2002 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons with the Tennessee Titans before signing a massive free-agent contract with the the Washington Redskins. He has not played in the NFL since 2011.
As for what caused the aneurysms, Kuharsky reports that Haynesworth isn’t sure:
“They can’t say. They said I could have had it, but they said football definitely didn’t help. I don’t really know. I have no idea. I’m not a doctor,” Haynesworth said. “I don’t want to blame it on football, and I don’t want to say, ‘Hey, it didn’t have anything to do with it.’ “
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
