At six-foot-six and 301 powerful pounds, Carolina Panthers defensive end Henry Anderson seemed otherwise entirely healthy. But in October, the 31-year-old player suddenly suffered a stroke that threatened to end his playing career.
Anderson says that he was at home on Oct. 22 when he began feeling his legs going numb and found his speech slurred. “It was a stroke, so it’s basically like a blood clot in your brain,” Anderson explained, ESPN reported. The player was rushed to the hospital where he underwent a battery of tests.
Doctors found the blood clot in his brain and sent him to surgery to have it removed. Since the surgery, Anderson now says he feels he is back to tip-top shape. “I got pretty lucky avoiding anything serious,” he told Fox News. “I mean, I feel totally fine.
Like I said, it’s not like an injury like a knee or shoulder or something that you’ve got to rehab and get the strength back and everything. This was just something that like, I felt pretty much back to normal as soon as they got the thing out,” the player added.
“I’m a football player,” he said, according to ESPN. “I’m cleared to play, I want to be out there and play football because that’s what I love to do. I’ve been injured several times throughout my career, and it’s always kind of overwhelming when you’re injured and not with the team, so if the doctors say I’m good to go, and I’ve got clearance I want to be out there with my guys and playing with my brothers.” Still, doctors were unable to determine how or why he ended up with a blood clot that nearly made him an invalid. (SOURCE)
