[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

“It’s rare, but sudden death does happen in athletes.”

Uh, no....Derrick Thomas did not just collapse and die suddenly. He died about a month after being paralyzed in a car crash on an icy road at the age of 33. The blood clot resulted from the injury for which he was hospitalized.

[neverevergiveup]

Didn't know the specifics of Derrick Thomas (thank you), but there is absolutely zero question that athletes die of sudden death due to undiagnosed cardiac disease (e.g. hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated CM, arrhythmogenic RV dysplasia, etc). I have personally seen young patients with sudden death from underlying undiagnosed pro-arrhythmic cardiac conditions. It's rare, but happens.