The only thing I knew about Reggie White is that he was one of the most talented and most feared defensive lineman in the history of football and he was also a devout Christian minister. In fact, too many, his nickname was “The Minister of Defense”. NFL Network is running a series of documentaries where they examine the lives of some of the most storied men in the game of football such as Bill Belichick and Kurt Warner. I’ve been tuning in pretty regularly as I’m interested in learning more about how these men live off the field.
I was shocked when I learned that the great Reggie White who seemed invincible at times died ridiculously young at 43 of health complications including Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Seeing that we treat patients with OSA on a daily basis, this issue really struck home with me. I don’t know if Reggie was receiving treatment or not at the time of his death, but his wife has become a champion of the cause. She is raising awareness through The Reggie White Sleep Disorders Research and Education Foundation. It just goes to show you that sleep disorders can affect any of us… even world class athletes… I’m just inspired to keep doing the work I do and help educate people on the symptoms so they know to get checked out.
In the meantime, you should check out the documentary on NFL Network.
