Eagles: Patterson OK after seizure
BETHELEHEM, Pa. --
Eagles: Patterson OK after seizure
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
BETHELEHEM, Pa. --
UPDATE:
After practice the Eagles said Mike Patterson had a seizure that lasted about four minutes, but was now alert and stable, even joking with staff at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
Head trainer Rick Burkholder said Patterson had no medical history that would have led to a seizure, and that the defensive tackle was undergoing tests. He would not speculate on what may have caused the seizure, although a team source said it was because of dehydration.
"He's absolutely alert, stable, totally communicating with everybody, to the point where he's joking a little bit," Burkholder said. "We won't speculate what happened to him other than he had a seizure. They'll do all the testing at Lehigh Valley Hospital to determine why he had the seizure."
Later on, defensive tackle Antonio Dixon said that Patterson had texted a few teammates that he was OK and that he called the defensive line group.
"He called to say he was doing well," Dixon said. "He was alert and said to the d-line don't worry about him he's doing good."
Patterson lacerated his tongue and the blood caused a stir from the defensive line players, Burkholder said.
Patterson was still undergoing a battery of tests in the afternoon and was expected to spend the night at the hospital. He was being observed by neurological doctors who had determined that he had no blood on the brain.
His wife was at the hospital with him.
FROM EARLIER:
Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson was taken off the field at training camp after he went into convulsions on Wednesday.
Patterson, along with the rest of the Eagles defensive linemen, was getting ready to start one-on-ones against the offensive line when he started to shake violently and fell to the ground. Eagles coach Andy Reid was nearby and immediately started screaming for the training staff.
As Eagles trainers worked on Patterson several other defensive linemen became visibly upset. Some knelt down and held hands. Patterson was motionless for a few moments, but then started to move his extremities. It was unclear if he was unconscious beforehand or not.
An ambulance arrived approximately ten minutes later. Eagles rookie guard Danny Watkins, a former firefighter, assisted the medical staff as Patterson was transferred onto a stretcher. The ambulance left five minutes later, bound for Lehigh Valley Hospital, according to a team spokesman.
Patterson is entering his seventh season and is one of the longest tenured Eagles. He was the Eagles No. 1 pick in 2005 out of Southern Cal. The 6-foot-1, 300-pound Patterson has never missed a game because of injury.
-- In other Eagles news, defensive tackle Trevor Laws was carted off the field after an apparent knee injury.
-- Jeremy Maclin, who reported to camp on Tuesday after missing the first five days due to a unspecified illness, was at practice but did not participate.
pft says he is texting from the hospital and he is fine. says it was dehydration.— chadp1234
Comment removed.- Get well Mike!— ej610
- Atta boy Danny. Nice to have a first responder on the team!— blueye7
- Really exrec9. Are you even the slightest bit human? Here's to hoping he'll be okay. Scarey stuff...— Grazman
Sounds like he'll be ok, though I'm sure it was very scary for everyone involved. More concerned now with Laws....— Elbarad- I wonder if it is from a head injury or from an excessive and sudden rise in body temperature?
- he didnt have a convulsion. he was planking— Evil Overlord
- exrec9,you manned up and apologized for your comments, so I am cool with you. all the other posers on here just let it go.— antmry312
- Wait, fatty firefighter is from baylor I thought, not USC?— fongers
- Patterson can take the preseason off and star the first game with his experience.— Joe at the shore
- Two players and a coach have died during this heatwave from heat related injuries:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/03/heat/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1— Bruce in PA 
not the kindof news I want to hear. I met Mike once, real good guy. Hes fortunate that he didnt end up like Corey Stringer so I will take it as good news now. Way to pull through Mike. I have full confidence you will put in some work this season.
