Former NFL star Albert Haynesworth has revealed he recently had a successful kidney transplant procedure, less than two years after announcing his health was in grave decline.
Earlier this month, Haynesworth posted a photo of himself in a hospital bed on social media, alongside the donor whose kidney he apparently received. The 39-year-old former standout defensive tackle calls the donor, a physical therapy assistant identified as Zach Penny, a "real living angel."
"This kind hearted selfless human being drove seven hours from Arkansas to give me one of his kidneys!" Haynesworth wrote in the post's caption. "This is one of the happiest days of my life next to the birth of my kids." He closed the post with a series of hashtags, including #kidneydonor and #kidneytransplant.
Haynesworth, who played 10 years in the NFL, revealed in 2019 that his kidneys were failing, and was in dire need of a transplant. The two-time All-Pro had retired after the 2011 season, and his health issues began not long after. He said he suffered a brain aneurysm in November 2014, and was in intensive care for 11 days. Afterward, he reported lingering cognitive issues.
In an interview with Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky after his transplant surgery, Haynesworth, whose playing weight was listed at 335 pounds, cites heavy consumption of anti-inflammatories and painkillers during his NFL career as the likely causes of his kidney issues.
“A lot of it, honestly, is from the crap we used to take,” Haynesworth told Kuharsky, per Pro Football Talk. “At 33, two years out of the league, my kidney function was below 50 percent. So it has to be the junk that we were taking, like Toradol. Everybody used to line up to get their Toradol shots and take the pills afterward and all of that shit. I guarantee that had a lot to do with it because that really kills the kidneys.”
Haynesworth left the NFL as something of a notorious figure, after he infamously stomped on the head of Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode in a 2006 game, resulting in a five-game suspension, the longest ever doled out for an on-field infraction. He was apologetic and remained in the league several years, but his play declined sharply after signing a lucrative contract with Washington as a free agent. He finished out his career playing a handful of games with both the Patriots and Buccaneers in 2011, retiring with 30.5 sacks and 74 tackles for loss.
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