Offensive lineman Tavon Rooks didn’t make the Chiefs this summer, but he might not have made it without them.
According to Herbie Teope of the Topeka Capital-Journal, Rooks suffered a heart attack while in training camp, and if not for the quick attention of teammates and the training staff, might not have been around to talk about it today.
“If they didn’t catch that in time, the doctor was telling me I would’ve been dead on the field or in my dorm room that night,” Rooks said.
Yeah, that would have definitely been worse than not making a 53-man roster, but Rooks said that during practice on Aug. 17, he was trying to block out the pain and focus on his goal of staying in the NFL.
He started experiencing chest pains during two-minute drill work, but tried to push through. Then during one-on-ones, he grew short of breath, and a teammate waved over trainers to check on him.
“I knew something was wrong,” Rooks said, “but I was like I’m going to fight through it because you’re trying to make the roster. Pain is not the first thing on your mind right now. . . .
“After one-on-ones, that’s when I felt I needed help because I didn’t feel right. It was to the point where I couldn’t focus on what I needed to do and accomplish on the field because there was discomfort in my chest.”
That discomfort was a blood clot in an artery near his heart, and he had an emergency procedure to insert a stent. During the five-day hospital stay, a number of Chiefs staffers including General Manager John Dorsey visited him, which made an impact. They’ve done more than that since then. The Chiefs waived him with a non-football designation, but have agreed to take care of his hospital bills.
“I think it’s above and beyond from what you typically see in professional sports, in the NFL,” agent Richard Kopelman said. “But I don’t think it’s uncharacteristic of the Chiefs for folks like John Dorsey and others in that organization. I think it’s great.”
But for Rooks, the better news was simply being able to hold his 1-year-old daughter Londyn, which supersedes his dream of playing in the NFL.
“I’m happy to wake up every day, see her beautiful smile, her laugh and giggle,” Rooks said. “I’m excited to wake up in the middle of the night just to hold her, sleep with her, because I love my daughter so much. I’m happy the Lord gave me a second chance at life.”
And that’s a chance he might not have had without the prompt care the Chiefs gave him.
