Seven years ago, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth was the biggest name in free agency, signing a nine-figure deal that Washington would send through the shredder long before Haynesworth got half of the money. Two years ago, Haynesworth had far bigger problems than being fired by an NFL team.
Via Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com, Haynesworth said on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville on Thursday that he suffered from brain aneurysms in 2014.
“Nobody really knows, I almost died,” Haynesworth said. “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.”
Haynesworth spent 11 days in intensive care after surgery to repair the problem.
“I’ve been OK,” Haynesworth said. “It’s really hard to remember, and I’m not saying that just because of the concussion thing. A lot of things, I just can’t remember. I don’t feel as sharp as I used to as far as problem-solving and answering questions and things. It sounds crazy, but sometimes, writing my own name, I kind of forget the signature of how I normally write. Or sending long texts, my words get backwards. It’s crazy, but hopefully as time goes on, I get better.”
Haynesworth said he doesn’t know how the issues arose.
“They said I could have had it, but they said football definitely didn’t help,” Haynesworth said. “I don’t really know. I have no idea. I’m not a doctor. 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.’”
However it came to be, it’s a serious health situation that seems to be under control. For all his flaws, Haynesworth was a dominant force for a few years at a position that exposes the human body to plenty of abuse.
