Offensive lineman suffered heart attack during Chiefs training camp practice

Tavon Rooks leaving Kansas City Chiefs training camp with what appeared to be an injury or medical condition didn’t get a lot of headlines. At least not until weeks later when it was revealed he had a heart attack in practice.

Rooks was a relatively anonymous offensive lineman in camp. On Aug. 17 he left practice with what Chiefs coach Andy Reid said was a shortness of breath. At that point, Reid might not have even known what was happening. It wasn’t until Rooks was rushed to the emergency room that doctors understood what happened and, according to Chiefs Digest’s fantastic story, a stent was inserted in his artery.

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According to Chiefs Digest, which is a partner with the Topeka Capital-Journal, Rooks started feeling chest pain in two-minute drills but tried to practice through it, Then in one-on-one drills, the chest pain persisted and he had shortness of breath. Marcus Reed, a guard with the Chiefs then, alerted the trainers. That might have saved Rooks’ life.

The story said Rooks, a 2014 sixth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints, suffered “acute myocardial infarction as a result of a thrombus – a blood clot – in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery” and a prolonged episode of ventricular tachycardia, or an irregular heartbeat. 

“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 told Chiefs Digest.

Rooks was in good condition, passed his team physical before camp and had no history of heart disease on either side of the family, Chiefs Digest said.

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Here was a problem: Rooks wasn’t going to make the team, and he was waived with a non-football illness designation. He then had no insurance and the Chiefs Digest story estimated the cost of treating his condition would be about $30,000. The Chiefs stepped in and said they’d pay Rooks’ medical bills.

“They’re making sure my hospital bills are paid for,” Rooks told Chiefs Digest. “They came down and helped me out with that because the NFL insurance expired already. For them to be willing to pay for that, I’m glad they did.”

Rooks is recovering, with his girlfriend and daughter who just had her first birthday. And the Chiefs deserve a lot of credit for handling the situation the right way.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab