Hurricanes safety Al Blades Jr. out for season with myocarditis
Miami Hurricanes safety Al Blades Jr. announced on Tuesday via Twitter that he will miss the remainder of the season after it was discovered that he's dealing with myocarditis, a heart condition that has been linked with COVID-19 infections.
Blades, a junior, tallied 29 total tackles, two interceptions and seven passes defended in eight games with Miami but hasn't played since the 25-24 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies on Nov. 14. A coronavirus outbreak within the Hurricanes caused their game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to be moved from Nov. 21 to Dec. 19, and Blades missed Miami's 48-0 victory over the Duke Blue Devils last Saturday.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle and has been found in multiple college and pro athletes who tested positive for the coronavirus throughout the pandemic, including Buffalo Bills tight end Tommy Sweeney and Boston Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
Blades wrote in his Twitter post that he will be out of action for at least three months but intends to play for Miami next fall.
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