NFL Hall Of Fame RB Barry Sanders Suffered A Heart Attack

Barry Sanders in suitBarry Sanders (Photo via Getty Images)
Barry Sanders has made a health revelation following a life-changing event he experienced last year.

The football Hall of Fame running back recently revealed having suffered a heart attack a year ago while on a recruiting visit with his son.

Sanders, a 10-time Pro Bowler and six-time First-Team All-Pro, was recently interviewed by CBS Sports and opened up on the scare, which occurred last June. He said he thought he was dealing with heartburn, but left the visit to the emergency room and, following a heart catheter procedure and other tests, found out he had suffered a mild heart attack.

He said the experience has made him more health-conscious and has gotten him to eat better, while he’s also taking meds and walking.

“There was just a certain ignorance that I had about things like that. But all of it has been a learning process,” he remarked.

Barry Sanders Is Happier And Healthier

Barry Sanders smilingFormer Detroit Lions player Barry Sanders (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Sanders claims to be healthier and happier following the scare and is urging people to pay attention to heart health.

“It’s definitely made me healthier and happier,” he said.

“Being the kind of athlete that I was, I would see people walking and I would wonder, like, ‘What kind of workout is that?’ But there’s a thing called a heart healthy workout, where you’re just getting your heart rate up a little bit over a certain period of time, and that’s just really good for your heart.”

The former NFL star said the outpouring of support he got “meant a lot” to him.

Sanders played 10 seasons in the NFL, spending his entire career with the Detroit Lions after starring for Oklahoma State, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a junior.

He was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1989 and twice named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year. He was also co-MVP with Brett Favre in 1997.

Sanders retired from football after registering 15,269 rushing yards, 99 rushing touchdowns, 352 receptions, 2,921 receiving yards, and 10 receiving TDs. He’s widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs in NCAA and NFL history.