Steelers safety concerned about returning to Denver

[Lonestar]

By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 10/26/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT


PITTSBURGH — Steelers safety Ryan Clark certainly won't forget a hospital stay and the surgeries that followed the last time he played in Denver.

And he's still not sure he wants to try it again.

"I don't know yet," Clark said Sunday after the Steelers' 27-17 victory over the Vikings. "I've been checking, we've been doing our due diligence on it. Through the offseason and up until now. I don't think it's a decision you can make in a week or two. It something you have to feel confident you can do."

The Steelers have a bye week and will play the Broncos on Nov. 9 on "Monday Night Football." Clark has sickle-cell trait, which means his blood cells are not fully formed, and the last time he played in Denver — Oct. 21, 2007 — he spent a night in a hospital before returning to Pittsburgh.

Once back in Pittsburgh, however, his health worsened. Doctors later told him the altitude had caused a reaction in his blood that attacked his spleen and he eventually would have his spleen and his gallbladder removed as well as losing more than 30 pounds.

He did not play for the rest of the 2007 season. Clark said he has spent months talking to doctors about what he should do this time around and hopes to make a decision by late this week or early next week.

"Any kind of test where they can look at your insides, they've run it on me," Clark said. "I think next if they can stick their head down my throat and look they'll do it. And things look good, but it's still a tough decision.

"I can promise you I will be on the plane, either way, and we'll just figure it out from there."

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_13641160?source=rsssimplepiebroncos

[The Glue Factory]

Well that stinks! Hope everything goes well for Clark and that he can play without missing the rest of the season.

[SoCalImport]

GOOD LORD! that's the best reason to fear playing in the Mile High City that I've ever heard... Hope he can play and that everything (health wise) is fine.

[Dortoh]

I dont remember hearing anything about this before.

Either way it would be stupid to play in Denver again. As important a game it will be for both sides a game is still just a game and life is life.

[T.K.O.]

i would,nt even get on the plane.....thats crazy.
i never heard of that either but his coach should tell him to go golfing or take a week in florida or something,no way should he play in denver again.
besudes the steelers are gonna lose with him or without him....stay home dude:tsk:

[Dortoh]

i would,nt even get on the plane.....thats crazy.
i never heard of that either but his coach should tell him to go golfing or take a week in florida or something,no way should he play in denver again.
besudes the steelers are gonna lose with him or without him....stay home dude:tsk:

And just to be safe Big Ben should stay home as well. You never know maybe he has come into contact with the probelm. ;)

[Day1BroncoFan]

If I were him I would never play in Denver again.

[jhildebrand]

He wont play here! It just isn't worth the risk!!!!

[KCL]

That's horrible...damn he went through alot.

[Poet]

Wow, it would suck if he had to play in Denver for the AFCCG.

FORESHADOW!

MUAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

[BroncoWave]

Wow, it would suck if he had to play in Denver for the AFCCG.

FORESHADOW!

MUAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

There is nothing I would like more than another shot at Pitt in the AFCCG.

[frauschieze]

Either way it would be stupid to play in Denver again. As important a game it will be for both sides a game is still just a game and life is life.

You nailed it. It's just not worth risking your life for a football game, NFL or not.

Ryan, you've got a wife and three kids. Please, don't risk leaving them without a husband or a father.

[rcsodak]

Great! Back-to-back teams coming off their byes!

[Bronco4ever]

When I first read the title of this thread, I thought "Maybe he got shot in Denver" ala Joey Porter. I didn't remember hearing anything about Clark when he came here the last time. That's pretty messed up though.

Props to him if he wants to come here and face the demons that plagued him the last trip here, but he needs to make sure that another trip out to high elevation won't trigger something with his disease. If I was in his shoes, I'd put my life and my family before work.

[Dirk]

I never heard of it either. Wow, what a choice to make. If the high altitude indeed caused his issues, then stay home.

I guess being on the ground at a high altitude is different than being in a plane? :confused:

[milehigh]

I never heard of it either. Wow, what a choice to make. If the high altitude indeed caused his issues, then stay home.

I guess being on the ground at a high altitude is different than being in a plane? :confused:

There is a reason why you can't roll down your window during a plane flight. :D The cabin is pressurized.


Cabin pressurization is the active pumping of compressed air into an aircraft cabin when flying at altitude to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for crew and passengers in the low outside atmospheric pressure.
Pressurization is essential over 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) to protect crew and passengers from the risk of hypoxia and a number of other physiological problems (see below) in the thin air above that altitude and increases passenger comfort generally. "The outflow valve is constantly being positioned to maintain cabin pressure as close to sea level as practical, without exceeding a cabin-to-outside pressure differential of 8.60 psi."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabin_pressurization

[gobroncsnv]

Great! Back-to-back teams coming off their byes!

To back... the Chargelesses were coming off of their bye as well...

SD
Balt
Pitt

[BCJ]

I dont remember hearing anything about this before.

Either way it would be stupid to play in Denver again. As important a game it will be for both sides a game is still just a game and life is life.

this is how i feel about it. Why would you take this risk if they removed two different items in your body. This time, they might not be able to help him if same thing happens. This is one game versus your one life to live. Take the day off. It would really suck to be missing the rest of the year (minimum) and still watch your team lose. Just stay in Pittsburgh.

[Nomad]

I saw this awhile back on ESPN ( I believe during the summer). I agree with many of you here, that football isn't worth the risk especially since he has a family! I hope the best for him health wise if he does go to Denver, but hope he sucks on the field as a football player if he plays two Sundays from now against the BRONCOS!!

[pipes]

Something tells me that Denver is never going to target that guy in free agency. :confused: