The story of Steve Sarkisian's life-saving open heart surgery | College GameDay

Published: Dec 31, 2023 Duration: 00:05:16 Category: Sports

Tags : espn college football CFB college football on espn espn college football college football espn college football 2023

Trending searches: steve sarkisian wife

Intro I'm a big attitude guy and this whole idea that life is 10% what happens to me 90% how I react to it inevitably I think all the things that I've been through have been for a reason I wouldn't change it for the world every day when Texas coach Steve sarkeesian puts on his burnt orange and white he sees it the 12-in scar on his chest a reminder of a moment in the summer of 2020 when he was an Alabama assistant that nearly cost him everything so at Alabama it's a The summer of 2020 prerequisite every year that you go through an executive physical so every summer you go to Birmingham making sure your heart's okay I've done it for a long time because my dad passed when he was 46 so there was always a little concern concern there that maybe you need to make sure you're okay and then I wanted everybody to share that same sort of opportunity to make sure that they were healthy one of our physicians in Birmingham where the physical was done he called me and said we've got a problem never had we seen something this dire or this critical that had to be managed and managed The aneurysm immediately the physical revealed sarkeesian had an aneurysm in his heart the result of a leaky valve and while most people are born with three heart valves sarkeesian learned he was born with two he says he had no idea until the physical they said well what you have is the Widowmaker the medical world doesn't label something a Widowmaker if it's not very serious if you have an aneurysm they'll monitor it up to 3 cm if you hit three or above they want to go in and and repair it so by the time they they Di diagnosed mine and went in to look at it I was at 6 and2 cm he had a 5% chance to live had this The rupture rupture happen once it burst that was over it was lights out he would have dropped dead that's how serious it was it was just a matter of time of him just collapsing he was literally a ticking Time Bomb if we don't get this fixed this is going to be a major issue 4 days after his diagnosis sarkeesian had life-saving open heart surgery after the procedure he would Relearning to walk have to relearn how to walk and talk it's like rebooting your computer and I didn't want to go back to the office until I felt like I was really physically prepared to go do it my wife and I went on Plenty of walks together I got up early one morning and I went on about a two-mile walk and that was the first time I'd really walked by myself I had to go up a pretty good Hill in our neighborhood and I remember sitting down kind of on on the curb thinking well if you can't do this you can't coach like you're not going to be physically able to do it so I got up and I walked to the top of this hill and I turned around and walked back and I was drenched in sweat and I remember walking in the door and my wife looking at me like where the hell have you been I was Going back to work so upset but he was ready ready to get back to work he's trying to prove it to himself like I can go back I can coach I can stand on the sidelines I can be with the team football is is bread and butter like that is what makes him go sarkeesian returned to the Crimson Tide in time for training camp about 3 weeks after surgery as offensive coordinator he helped lead Alabama to its eight 18th national championship before leaving Tuscaloosa at the end of the season for the head coaching job at Texas anytime I talk about my journey my career where we're at today I would not be here without Nick Sav to have this executive physical he saved me he probably saved my life a few times by doing a great job while he was here so we we're kind of even I think so knows that's it Texas comes into Tuscaloosa and snaps a 21 game HomeField win streak I think this was a reboot at life in the best most positive way you can get over any hump even if it's looking deaf in the face the scar reminds me of we can overcome a lot and just because we hit a roadblock in our life we don't have to stay there right we can get on the other side of it and keep charging forward and so I'm a better coach today I'm a better man today because of [Music] that

Share your thoughts

Related Transcripts

THE ROCK IS HERE! 🗣️ | College GameDay

Category: Sports

N' whiouldwin, youoh m,yisth Read more

McElroy & Todd Blackledge discuss the Big Ten vs. SEC & the future of CFB | Always College Football

Category: Sports

Intro anytime there's change no matter how well-intentioned it is there's always some negative consequences that come with it you know and and unfortunately that that's a [music] problem hello and welcome in it is april fool's day april 1st and we appreciate all of you coming to us wherever it is you're... Read more

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Clemson Tigers | Full Game Highlights

Category: Sports

Clemson's defense is up against it here today georgia tech going to have to deal with the noise a gaping hole in the middle for jamal haynes and haynes lunging to pick up about nine yards most steady performers this offensive line very solid this year king going to be sacked back at about the 23 yd... Read more

Lee Corso's headgear pick for LSU vs. Alabama with comedian Nate Bargatze | College GameDay

Category: Sports

Iowa state one of those teams sharing the lead in the big 12 kansas a game back who went it iowa state's defense is for real number one in the conference and total defense but i'm going with kansas i think kansas beats iowa state i like roco beck a lot the freshman for iowa state i like matt campbell... Read more

Can Clemson rejoin the CFB ELITE in 2024? 🤔 | Always College Football

Category: Sports

Moving on to a team that is flying way under the radar and so much of the conversation around this team centers around their head coach and so much around this team kind of centers around whether or not the way that this head coach has approached it is going to continue to be successful here in the... Read more

Top 10 BEST non-conference games in 2024 | Always College Football

Category: Sports

Intro i think there are more questions on george's roster than people realize doesn't mean that they're not going to be really good they're going to be excellent is a team that is no worse than number two in college football coming into the [music] season hello and welcome to always college football... Read more

Coach Corso got emotional looking back at his Navy days 🥹 | College GameDay

Category: Sports

>> air force undefeated for six turnovers. >> did a really good job. that can turn things around. remember this in the late '60s, young buck of an assistant coach in annapolis, lee corso taking us through the paces. bill belichick often watching close by. there's the italian standing. >> the blitzing... Read more

Texas A&M Aggies vs. LSU Tigers | Full Game Highlights

Category: Sports

They probably should have marked the ball at the 49 yd line instead lsu gets the benefit of the doubt and the long throw from daniels to malik neighbors stays on his feet tough to bring down malik neighbors fights his way to the a&m 32 yd line to pick up 18 we're going to start a freshman at mike linebacker... Read more

Travis Hunter scores the first TD in the Colorado spring game | ESPN College Football

Category: Sports

Transferred to arkansas state but so many new faces sanders from the pocket delivers from the end zone and it's a leap in touchdown cause by travis hunter that's with the fans were hoping to see the jackson state teammates hooking up three catches Read more

🚨 28-PT COMEBACK 🚨 Famous Toastery Bowl: Western Kentucky vs. Old Dominion | Full Game Highlights

Category: Sports

Kean wicks stands to the left of grant wilson they'll fake it to wix and throw to the wide side pass is caught by kelby williams his 24th catch of the year western kentucky bringing some heat wilson keeps it has plenty of room it's now a foot race he's at midfield wilson stumbles and caught at the 5... Read more

Lee Corso's headgear pick for Penn State vs. Ohio State with C.J. Stroud | College GameDay

Category: Sports

Utah vs. usc lebtoday,nkcrblam w tennessee vs. alabama eagryou le thehera penn state vs. ohio state m orve te.ns ob j.hriarsojrn nabanas.he t db Read more

Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M THE GREAT MISMANAGED HIRES in CFB history?! | The Matt Barrie Show

Category: Sports

According to our pete thill sources have said the texas a&m associate head coach elijah robinson is expected to serve as the interim coach at texas anm so jimbo fisher after seven years is out 70 plus million dollars and this thing is over i find this big picture to be one of the great mismanaged hires... Read more