How Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker III, Beat the Deadly Diagnosis Sidelining Jalen Hurts

Running back Kenneth Walker III earned the Most Valuable Player Award for his performance in leading the Seattle Seahawks to their Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots last February and is the front-runner to capture the NFL MVP award this season if his dominance with the Kansas City Chiefs continues.None of that seemed possible when Mr. Walker was a high school junior in Memphis, Tennessee, confined to a hospital bed with a life-threatening medical emergency. Mr. Walker was hospitalized with a blood clot condition similar to what has currently sidelined Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. The handling of his condition could plunge the NFL into an examination of player safety, medical protocols, and the risks of cardiovascular trauma in elite sports.The NFL Players union has formally demanded an investigation into reports Mr. Hurts’ condition was known days before he took the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday in London. The controversy has placed a national spotlight on deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) conditions that can rapidly transform routine athletic soreness into a life-threatening crisis.Mr. Hurts can only hope his recovery mirrors Mr. Walker, whose 665 yards rushing and six touchdowns this year are a key reason why the Chiefs are unbeaten in five games. As a teenager dreaming of playing in the NFL, Mr. Walker spent several days at the LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis after blood clots migrated to both of his lungs, a medical emergency known as pulmonary embolism.According to the National Blood Clot Alliance, symptoms of PE include sudden shortness of breath, sharp stabbing chest pain, rapid heart rate, fainting and bloody cough. Mr. Walker had begun spring practice sessions when he woke up one morning with chest pains and gasping for air. “I woke up and I couldn’t breathe for real,” he told reporters at the Super Bowl. “I was struggling to breathe.”Doctors told him that he could have died on the football field had he taken a hit to the wrong place, and that he would not play football again. “I just thought football was over,” he said. “It was what I had been doing all my life.”Through daily doses of blood-thinners over a three-month period — a process where he learned to inject himself — Mr. Walker’s health improved to where he could play football again. Today he’s a Super Bowl champion, a Super Bowl MVP, and a living warning.“Going through that, it made me grateful for each and every day to be able to strap up and play this game and still be alive,” he said.Whether Mr. Hurts, 28, will ever return to the playing field remains an open question. The Eagles and his agent Nicole Lynn said in a joint statement the quarterback was initially diagnosed by specialists in London with a superficial vein thrombosis in his left calf, which after furthering testing and monitoring led the current diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli.Reports indicate he will miss the remainder of the season as he undergoes a treatment of blood thinners. “Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery,” the statement said, adding, “We anticipate that he will have no long-term effects.”The National Football League Players Association isn’t satisfied. The union is demanding an investigation into why Mr. Hurts was allowed to play on Sunday in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars, three days after informing the team’s medical staff of pain in his left calf.While it’s confirmed he was initially diagnosed by specialists in London with DVT – a term for a blood clot that forms in a deep vein, usually in the lower legs – sometimes a blood clot can break off and travel into the lungs lodging in a blood vessel, creating a pulmonary embolism that can be life-threatening. Mr. Hurt’s extremely dangerous PE condition was reportedly diagnosed after the game.“Before conclusions are drawn about how this situation was handled, there must be a full investigation into what occurred,” the player’s union said in a statement. “Determining the facts is essential to ensuring players receive the highest level of care and protection going forward.”The NFL is defending the Eagles’ actions with Mr. Hurts, issuing a statement saying it had been in contact with Philadelphia’s medical personnel and the Cleveland Clinic in London throughout the process.Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer characterized the team’s medical staff and its handling of the situation as “very conservative, very patient-focused and appropriately guarded at every step.”He added, “In this case, everyone was incredibly conservative and incredibly vigilant and was very quick to make diagnoses of these conditions that might not have been diagnosed in a nonathlete.”NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller denied a report Mr. Hurts when more than 30 hours without sleeping before playing the game due to fear sleeping could cause the blood clot to travel.“Jalen Hurts returned to the hotel, slept for a period of time and went to the stadium,” Mr. Miller said, estimating that Mr. Hurts slept for around seven or eight hours. “Both talking to the Eagles’ staff and making sure from people on the ground, tracking the case, talking to the independent hospital and doctors involved that we have, I think, a complete understanding of the course of events.”Mr. Hurts won’t be allowed to have contract until he is well off blood thinning medication which is likely to take months. He joins Mr. Walker on a list of athletes of have developed DVT or PE in the prime of their professional careers.San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama had his 2024-2025 season ended after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman went on to finish third in the NBA MVP voting last season. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year award, and led the Spurs to the NBA Finals against eventual champion New York Knicks.Meanwhile, blood clots ended the career of Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Bosh. He was averaging 19.1 points and 7.4 rebounds near the All-Star Game break during the 2015-2016 season when a clot in one of his legs was discovered at age 31. He never played again.Nine-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard was diagnosed with DVT in his right calf in 2025. He returned for the playoffs that year but tore his Achilles tendon.LPGA major winner Nelly Korda missed four months in 2022 after a blood clot in her left arm required surgery.While athletes are generally no more predisposed to blood clots than non-athletes, their symptoms can be dismissed as simply soreness. Symptoms, according to the National Blood Clot Alliance include swelling in arms or legs, pain or tenderness that feels like a cramp or charley horse, reddish or bluish skin discoloration or areas warm to the touch.“If you notice an area of your leg that is red, warm, swollen, or unusually tender, do not dismiss it,” Dr. Jordan Schaefer, a hematologist and clinical associate professor at the University of Michigan, wrote on the NBCA website. “Blood clots claim approximately 100,000 lives in the United States each year and remain a leading cause of preventable death associated with hospitalization. Delayed recognition contributes to that toll. Detecting a clot early, determining its full extent, and treating it appropriately can improve outcomes.”

How Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker III, Beat the Deadly Diagnosis Sidelining Jalen Hurts

How Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker III, Beat the Deadly Diagnosis Sidelining Jalen Hurts

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