High School Football Coach Suffered Heart Attack During Game, Coached Through It

by Larry Leo

November 18, 20202 Comments

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The head coach of St. John’s Catholic Prep in Buckeyestown, Md., Daryl Hayes, coached half his team’s game while suffering a prolonged heart attack...and survived. Per footballscoop.com...

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Hayes is the head coach at St. John’s Catholic Prep in Buckeyestown, Md., and on Saturday Hayes coached half his team’s game while suffering a prolonged heart attack.

Hayes began feeling symptoms at halftime, when a blood clot began blocking an artery that connects to his heart’s left ventricle. Thinking it was indigestion, Hayes texted his wife Kelly to see if she had any mints, but otherwise he kept coaching. Hayes remained on the sideline through the second half, through the postgame and even conducted an interview before seeking medical attention.

Hayes’ players and assistants didn’t know anything was wrong with their head coach. In fact, their only clue that he was experiencing symptoms of a disease that kills one American every 36 seconds is that he acted calmer than usual on the sidelines.

“I didn’t know,” said Vikings assistant coach Kevin O’Rourke. “We’re on the headphones, we’re talking, we’re coaching football. He never stopped.

“In fact, I remarked to another coach last night after the game that he seemed the calmest he had ever been coaching,” O’Rourke said. “He’s quite animated, he’s passionate. You know, he’s a football coach.”