Yahoo Sports Panthers DE Henry Anderson says he had a minor stroke in October
Carolina Panthers defensive end Henry Anderson has been out since late October with an "illness," which he revealed to have been a minor stroke on Wednesday after his return to practice.
Speaking with reporters for the first time since being placed on the reserve/non-football injury list, Anderson said he was hospitalized for "a few days," but he is now "all good" and the issue was "resolved pretty quickly."
Anderson, 31, said he experienced numbness in his legs and slurred speech on Oct. 22, leading to his wife taking him to the hospital, per the Associated Press:
“I didn’t know much about strokes but I found out more about them and realized I got pretty lucky avoiding anything serious and long term,” Anderson said. “I am glad that I was kind of oblivious when it happened because I would have been a little more panicked had I realized what was going on. But like I said, I got pretty lucky.”
The cause of the blood clot in Anderson's brain reportedly remains unknown.
The Panthers signed Anderson to a one-year deal in early September right before the start of the season, a few days after he was released from the New England Patriots after reaching an injury settlement. The 31-year-old has played for the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets and Patriots, totaling 182 combined tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks in 84 games across eight seasons.
Understandably, Anderson said he was surprised by the stroke given his lack of any conditions or risk factors. He also said he was grateful for all of his medical support.
"It was definitely something I wasn't expecting, don't have any conditions that make me more susceptible to that type of thing. Definitely a surprise to me, but like I said, got pretty lucky. The trainers and medical staff and the doctors at the hospital, they did an outstanding job and I was able to avoid any major issues."
