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Former New York Giants star and two-time Super Bowl champion Osi Umenyiora has revealed a horrific health battle that left him in a coma for several days.
Umenyiora returned to “The Breakdown” on NFL UK and Ireland’s YouTube and said he had been through “real adversity.”
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Osi Umenyiora enters the field during the NFL London Games Ring of Honor ceremony at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 6, 2024. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
“I was hospitalized for almost a month,” he said. “I was in a coma for five days, I had major surgery. I was in really, really bad shape. And I found out in that moment who really loved me because there were people who showed up every day. There were people who came to see me when I was in a coma. There were people who came from all over the world to come see me when I was at my lowest.”
Umenyiora said his co-host Jason Bell walked him through the process. He said he “could feel the love” from Bell.
“This man right here was on my side,” he said of Bell. “I remember when I got up and saw him for the first time, I just started crying because I could feel the love.
Osi Umenyiora pursues quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the first half, November 25, 2012. (CHRIS PEDOTA NETWORK/USA TODAY via Imagn Images)
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“So don’t ever confuse what’s happening here with something that’s not real because it’s real, and I love you, J-Bell. I really, really appreciate everything you’ve done. They told me that when I heard your voice, my heart rate started skyrocketing, which was absolutely amazing.”
Umenyiora did not delve into the details of his health problem.
The former NFL defensive end played 11 years in the NFL between the Giants and the Atlanta Falcons. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and was part of the Giants teams that stunned the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI.
New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora (72) hits New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) during the final drive of Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 5, 2012. (TYSON TRISH NETWORK/USA TODAY via Imagn Image)
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He had 85 sacks in 161 career games.
