Yahoo Sports UConn LB Eli Thomas in stable condition after suffering a stroke
UConn linebacker Eli Thomas suffered a stroke last week.
The school said Thursday that Thomas was in stable condition at a local hospital, but did not offer a reason for his hospitalization until Monday morning. In a statement, it was revealed that Thomas suffered a stroke before “participating in a weightlifting session” the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 10.
UConn says Thomas, a redshirt junior, is “making good progress toward recovery.” No other details were provided.
Included in UConn’s press release was a statement from Mary Beth Turner, Thomas’ mother:
Thank you all for your love and well wishes for Eli. To say we are stunned by this turn of events is an understatement! A strong, healthy, 22-year-old man having a stroke is not anything we anticipated. However, Eli will fight back as he has with every challenge that has come his way with “Eli Style.”
We want to thank every single member of the UConn football staff! They have been tremendous! The love from them, and the team, has been overwhelming! A very special thank you to (assistant athletic trainers) Caitlyn VanWie and Tony Salvatore. Without their quick response, this horrible situation could have been devastating. We owe them more than we can ever repay! Continued prayers for Eli’s recovery are appreciated.
Thomas played his first two years of college football at Lackawanna Community College before arriving at UConn last year. He spent the 2017 season redshirting an ACL injury, one of three major knee surgeries he has had in his football career.
He returned to the field this year and played in the Huskies’ first four games, totaling 11 tackles and a sack. His lone sack helped seal the win over Rhode Island, the team’s only win of the year.
According to the Hartford Courant, Thomas injured his neck during the Week 4 game against Syracuse. That has kept him out of the team’s last two games.
The 1-5 Huskies had a bye this week but will return to action on the road against undefeated No. 21 South Florida on Saturday.
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