It was an unimaginably tragic event that happened in 1971. On August 20th, an NFL player, Frank Gifford collapsed during a game in Chicago and suffered a heart attack. It made me stop in my tracks. I couldn’t believe that something like that could happen in the middle of a football game.
The play that led up to the tragic event was no different than any other mundane play. Gifford had just thrown a pass to Bob Tucker, who dropped it. As Gifford was walking back to the huddle, his teammates noticed his gait was abnormally slow; they knew something was wrong. As he sunk to the ground, the crowd gasped in shock and cheap nfl jerseys the referee and trainer rushed to his side.
The most shocking part, for me, is that Frank Gifford was only thirty three at the time. Besides being a broken record Hall of Fame running back, he was also a great person. Everyone in the New York Giants organization knew Frank was a great guy with a heart of gold.
I was heartbroken the day I had heard the news about Gifford’s sudden collapse during the football game. He never fully recovered from the incident, and his NFL career was cut short after years of struggling.
I can’t imagine what it must have been like to be there, to see the brave man sink to the ground in the middle of the game. The head trainer immediately began CPR, and he was taken off the field in an ambulance. Frank Gifford was revived in the ambulance, and after months of rehabilitation, he opened up about his experience – he remembered feeling a dull pain in his chest and experienced a complete loss of energy.
I think Gifford’s drive and determination serves as a lasting example of human courage. Even though his career ended prematurely, Frank continued to use his platform to help those in need and to increase awareness about the importance of a healthy heart.
Frank Gifford’s ordeal with a heart attack was an eye-opener for people in his organization, cheap nfl jerseys and cheap jerseys from china across the NFL. Most teams had not implemented a plan in case someone had a heart attack on the field yet, so this event was a wake-up call.
Following the incident, the cardiologist and trainer had a specific protocol to follow if someone had a heart attack on the field. They started to keep an emergency doctor on the sidelines of each game and other teams followed suit. As for cheap nfl jerseys Gifford, he went on to be an advocate for cheap jerseys heart health, starring in commercials and lending his name to research initiatives to help people with heart disease.
In addition to setting a higher standard of safety protocol and awareness, Gifford’s incident showed us the power of the human spirit and demonstrated that no matter what obstacles we face, cheap nfl jerseys we can still come out on top. Today, cheap nfl jerseys we can look back and remember the courageous Frank Gifford and all that he did to make sure athletes were safe on the field.
Thinking about the changes that Gifford’s incident has lead to, cheap jerseys from china it is important that everyone gets checked regularly and makes sure their hearts are in a healthy condition. Exercise and lifestyle changes can help prevent heart attacks, so it is important to take the necessary steps to maintain a healthy heart.
I’m sure Gifford was happy to know that his experience has helped so many people stay safe during football games. I am thrilled that the NFL has implemented higher safety standards with the use of emergency doctors, automated external defibrillators, and heart screenings which have all decreased the likelihood of a tragedy like the one Gifford experienced.
Going to the gym more often, eating healthier, and tracking your heart rate are small steps we can take to look after our hearts. Making sure that our cardiovascular health is in check should be the priority before being able to participate in physical activities like football.
As we take steps to embrace a healthier lifestyle, we also remember the brave player whose life was changed in an instant, showing us the strength of the human heart and the power of preventative action. Frank Gifford’s story should remain a tribute to all future and current athletes and serve as a reminder of the brain power behind proper health assessment.
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