NFL icon Jesse Sapulo gave his heart to the San Francisco 49ers.
The offensive lineman overcame a dangerous heart condition to enjoy an illustrious 15-year career with the 49ers in which he won four Super Bowls.
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It was an incredible achievement for an athlete who contracted rheumatic fever as a child in Samoa.
The condition remained undiagnosed for years and left Sapolu with a ruptured aortic valve.
Sapulo was constantly short of breath during physical activity.
The condition could have been treated with penicillin, but the medicine was not readily available in his native Samoa.
After the family moved to Hawaii, Sapulo was told he could not participate in physical education classes.
But after growing to 6 feet tall and weighing 250 pounds, Sapulo was determined to play football.
And he kept his condition a secret to pursue his NFL dreams.
After starring for the University of Hawaii, Sapulo was drafted by the 49ers in 1983.
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Sapulo’s condition – which included an enlarged heart – was discovered by doctors at Stanford Hospital.
But he was cleared to play in the NFL with regular monitoring and echocardiograms.
He had an illustrious career with the 49ers that included two Pro Bowl appearances, even though he knew the dangers he faced.
“It was a mental pain because I knew from a young age that I had to make it,” Sapulo told The US Sun.
“I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from playing.
“They would ask me if I felt like I was about to fall because I was out of breath. I would say, ‘Yes, but the guy I’m playing against is about to fall.'”
Important NFL Dates
August 1 – Hall of Fame Game – Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears
August 8th – start of pre-season
August 27 – Deadline for 53-player rosters
September 1st – Last day of pre-season
September 5th – season opener – Baltimore Ravens x Kansas City Chiefs
November 5th – Negotiation deadline
January 5th – Week 18 of the regular season
January 11th – start of playoffs
February 9 – Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana
Sapulo avoided surgery for most of his career as he thought his playing days were numbered.
But after medical advances, he underwent open-heart surgery in 1997 before returning to the 49ers for the 15th and final season.
“After my 13th, 14th year, the situation escalated to the point where it was dangerous, so they came in and operated on me,” he added.
“And I came back and played another year.”
In 2012, Sapulo received a new mechanical valve that required him to take blood thinners.
Sapulo now works as a volunteer for the American Heart Association and as a global ambassador for the 49ers.
He was recently in England for a joint event between the 49ers, the NFL Foundation UK and the Leeds United Foundation to promote the Unlocking Potential program.
The aim is to provide greater access to educational and sporting pathways for young people in Leeds.
“We also hope to promote flag football, which will become an Olympic sport within four years,” adds Sapulo.
Sapulo is confident the 49ers will have another successful season after reaching the Super Bowl.
“Success in San Francisco is that you have to win everything,” he says.
“I think to get there you have to have consistency and coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers have made it to the NFC championship game four of the last six years and gone to the Super Bowl.
“And they just need to close the deal. They had a very, very good chance to win the game.
“That didn’t happen. They have to come back stronger and try again.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
