By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Patriots center David Andrews did a recent interview with the 247Sports page for his alma mater, the Georgia Bulldogs. Andrews opened up about his scary injury situation that suddenly ended his 2019 season just before it was set to start.
Andrews played as recently as the Pats’ third preseason game on Aug. 22, 2019, but just days later he became hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs. The health emergency meant the Patriots center would need at least 3-6 months to recover, meaning his season was over.
In the interview, Andrews details the days and weeks leading up to his hospitalization. He realized after the fact that what he thought were speed bumps on the way to the season were something far more serious.
“I had been dealing with some chest pains and troubling breathing, started coughing blood the first day we reported to training camp actually,” said Andrews. “All of this was partly my fault, just being dumb and pushing through it. I thought I was sick and I really did not feel like myself. It was not like I was having a bad camp. I just was not having a consistent camp.”
He also painted the picture of what it was like when he heard how serious it was for him:
”Specialist comes out and says I have blood clots, I had no idea what that meant. I told the doctor I needed to get back home to let my dogs out, and from that point on, I knew it was serious. They would not let me leave and I spent five nights there. My first call was to my dog walker, actually. Then I had to call my wife and try to explain all of this. She was out of town. I actually called my former UGA teammate Clint Boling next. He was actually dealing with these this offseason, so I called him immediately because I knew he had dealt with that. He was great and introduced me to a doctor as well. Clint was just great to me. I really had no idea how dangerous it was.”
So it seems that Andrews learned a hell of a lot about his respiratory system over the past seven months. It’s also a wonder if this means that Andrews could be at higher risk if he catches COVID-19 during the pandemic that has engulfed the world, considering it can cause severe respiratory illnesses.
Either way, blood clots are major health scares that take a long time for patients to recover. But Andrews has consistently seemed optimistic that he’ll get right back to business for the 2020 NFL season, assuming it is not disrupted due to coronavirus concerns.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.