Thoughts and Prayers With Eagles DT Mike Patterson

Yesterday, I spent my morning at the Eagles training camp practice, in Lehigh. At one point I noticed an ambulance on the field surrounded by many Eagles players, some of them holding their helmets to the sky. As the ambulance drove off I was left wondering who was inside and what happened to him. I went to my phone and began searching for an answer. I later found out through the csnphilly.com Eagles training camp blog that defensive tackle Mike Patterson had collapsed and began convulsing on the field. This was a scene that disturbed many of the players and as I read descriptions of what happened, it disturbed me.

It was later reported that Mike Patterson was texting, joking around and in good spirits. A sigh of relief for any with knowledge of the situation. However, today, Rick Burkholder (the team’s head trainer) reported that Mike has been diagnosed brain condition called AVN (arteriovenous malformation). This is how Reuben Frank of csnphilly.com described the condition:

AVM, a potentially dangerous tangling of arteries and blood vessels inside the brain that is often treated either with surgery or radiation,

To say that this sounds serious would be a huge understatement. Mike, my thoughts and prayers are with you and I wish you the speediest of recoveries.