Most who visit this blog or my site know of the recent passing of my teammate Brad VanPelt of a heart attack. If you didn’t know him personally you could know him from his play on the football field with the NY Giants or from our relationship as a group of linebackers that included Brian Kelly and Lawrence Taylor called the “Crunch Bunch” taking part in humanitarian efforts trying to make a difference in the lives of others. Brad and I were “tight” or close, so close that he was very much like a brother to me. So, because of that closeness and of that relationship I can say things about Brad that others might not be able to say.
When I attended Brad’s funeral service I like everyone else was saddened by his passing but there was also a side of me that was so “pissed off” with him! I looked at him and said under my breath “Brad, if you weren’t dead I would knock the sh-t out of you!” I know he would have said “I know Harry, I know, I should have listened to you!” You see, I feel very strongly that Brad’s death could have been prevented. Within the last year and a half I had been promoting the Living Heart Foundation’s Cardiovascular Screening Programs for NFL Retired Players. These comprehensive screenings were being offered free of charge to former players around the country to see if there were any potential cardiovascular problems that could be treated. Last September I first suggested to Brad that he should take part in the screenings that would be held at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital during Giants Alumni weekend. Brad declined the invitation. In our conversation that started with good intentions Brad revealed to me that he had not seen a doctor since he left football some 22 years earlier. He shared with me that his father died of a heart attack at the age of 49 and bottom line he was afraid of what any examination would find. I was frustrated that with all of the factors and reasons why he didn’t want to go were the same reasons why he should have been proactive in looking out for his own health. Brad continued to be quite adamant in not wanting to know of anything that might be found. At the conclusion of our conversation I was even more frustrated at the stubbornness of a man I was close to but I also felt that the situation was out of my hands.
As a former football player I have memories of preparing for the next upcoming game. We would watch film of our next opponent to see what we had to prepare for. We watched what that next opponent did right to win their last game but we also watched what the team they played against did wrong to lose. To give ourselves the best chance to win we had to understand the mistakes that other team made. We all (especially former athletes) have to understand the mistakes of Brad VanPelt. Brad went from knowing what his body was capable of doing when he played years ago to not wanting to know what was going on with his own body so many years later. At his funeral service I told his mother that her son was a stubborn man! And while that might work on the football field it can act as a detriment off the field.
I encourage all (especially those of us over the age of 40) to do a better job of taking care of ourselves physically.
• Take/make time to listen to our bodies.
• Get a yearly physical (for men make a prostate exam a part of that yearly regiment).
• Get off our asses and get physical by working out. Any type of exercise is better than no exercise at all. (An $8.00 jump rope works wonders.)
• Make an effort to shed a few pounds, improve our endurance and strengthen our hearts and cardiovascular systems.
In the end, I’ve been sad because I’ve lost my friend but I have not shed a tear for him because he did live his life on his own terms. I’m sadder for the many family members and friends who now feel a void with his passing, people who truly loved, cared about and greatly respected him. Many of you have left messages in my guestbook or have sent me emails and letters expressing fond memories of Brad. Let’s not allow his death be in vain but instead use his life and yes, his stubbornness to awaken the call within ourselves to be proactive in living our own lives.
Hi Harry, Though I am not a Giant’s fan I am also not a Giant’s hater. I really respect you as both a player and a man. My teams are the Rams and Jets. I just turned 40 and I took advantage of a program where Police and Firefighter’s could get an MRI scan of their arteries around the heart to look for plaque buildup.The price was discounted for me because I am a Firefighter for the past 13 years. I like Brad have a history of heart disease in my family. I have two grandfather’s who passed away early from heart attack’s. One at 47 and one at 56.Well I am glad that I was proactive by getting the procedure because the test showed that I have the beginnings of heart disease. I have been put on Crestor and a baby aspirin a day to slow the progression. My grandfathers did not have the choices that we have today and we are truely blessed to have these tests available to us now. Thank you for spreading the new about heart disease because it is something that can be treated if you know that you have it.Keep spreading the word.