(AUDACY) Former Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen has been tending to a family matter of late, as his eight-year-old son TJ has been in desperate need of a heart transplant. But good news came Thursday night when a donor match was found for TJ, allowing him to undergo his much-needed operation and hopefully begin his road to recovery.
TJ was born with a congenital heart defect that required four surgeries, including the installation of a pacemaker, according to ESPN reporter David Newton. Olsen revealed his son’s grave condition in a series of tweets last week, noting that TJ’s failing heart was “reaching its end.” TJ’s heart transplant was scheduled to be performed Friday afternoon at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.
Olsen was drafted by the Bears in 2007 and played his first four NFL seasons in Chicago. The Bears then traded him to the Panthers, for whom he played nine seasons and was a three-time Pro Bowler. Olsen announced his retirement this past January and was promptly hired by Fox Sports, where he will serve as a color commentator for games beginning next season. A University of Miami alum, Olsen appeared in 14 games for Seattle in 2020, recording 24 catches for 239 yards and a touchdown. Olsen and his wife, Kara, have three children together -- TJ (short for Trent Jerry), his twin sister Talbot and their eldest son, Tate, who was born in 2011.
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