Barry 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

Former 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.

Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his illegal hit to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the ensuing brawl between the teams in a lengthy statement on social media.  

Al-Shaair’s statement comes as his three-game suspension as a result of the incident has ended and he is slated to return to the field for the Texans on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

On December 1, an Al-Shaair hit to the head of a sliding and defenseless Lawrence caused chaos in Jacksonville. The defensive back needed to be restrained by several coaches and Lawrence has not played since taking the barbaric contact.

‘While so many jumped at the first opportunity to hop on the false narrative – that l’m a dirty player or bad person – the messages from all who stood by me were the only things keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation,’ Al-Shaair said on social media.

‘I’ve learned so much from this entire experience. Seeing myself on video – letting my emotions get the best of me to the point where I completely lost it – was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me.’

‘I’ve had to earn everything in my life. I never want to allow anyone to get me to a point where I jeopardize everything that I’ve worked all my life to obtain. That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment.’

+2
View gallery

Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

+2
View gallery

The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence

Al-Shaair said during his three-game ban, he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives for the first time, taking issue with how he was characterized in the official announcement of his suspension.

The defender said he thought his character and integrity were ‘unjustifiably smeared’ in the release but the meeting with Goodell and others was ‘productive’ and gave him hope it would not happen again.

‘In that conversation – man-to-man – I owned and acknowledged that my actions following my ejection were careless and, in that moment, I didn’t think about the responsibility I have been blessed with to represent the shield,’ Al-Shaair continued.

‘I also stated that the letter, and specifically the language used in the letter, was equally as careless and conveyed that the context of the words used were not a reflection of my character, nor my career, as I have not been warned multiple times for my play on the field.’

Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence was not the only controversial incident he was involved in this season.

During the Texans’ game against the Bears in September, he punched Roschon Johnson, who wasn’t even in the game at the time of another sideline confrontation.

Al-Shaair ended his statement by saying his view is that everyone in the league office and on the field are on the same team to represent the NFL in the best nature possible, something he failed to do earlier this month.

‘Lastly, I’ll say that this world is full of negative people who can’t wait to tear you down, but if you move with love and compassion, the seeds of good you planted in others’ lives can grow into the very tree that shades you with comfort and compassion when you need it most,’ Al-Shaair concluded.

‘I am a man of God, I am a leader, a warrior and a lover. I am also a hell of a football player and I’m grateful to be back doing what I love.’