When the Detroit Lions placed Khalil Dorsey on injured reserve ahead of Week 2, little was known about his situation other than he had missed practice due to illness.
Upon returning to action in Week 6, Dorsey revealed to reporters Wednesday that he was suffering from Rhabdomyolysis, a serious medical condition that affects the kidneys.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website, Rhabdomyolysis is a condition that "occurs when damaged muscle tissue release its proteins and electrolytes into the blood."
The CDC also states that athletes are at higher risk of suffering from Rhabdomyolysis, as high body temperature and overuse of muscles are listed as common symptoms.
Dorsey spent four weeks on injured reserve working to get healthy. He spent numerous trips getting IV's and other methods of support to heal his body.
"I had to wait to get back healthy, make sure all the labs came back and nothing was wrong," Dorsey said. "Make sure my kidneys were fine, make sure everything's fine. I felt dead for about like a week and a half. Everything was sore. I had no energy to do nothing. I was on IV's, would come here, get like three bags, come back later, get another bag. There was a stick in my arms."
The cornerback, who made the Lions' roster out of training camp and played well on special teams in the season opener, was relegated to the sidelines and recovery for the last month.
He admitted that the experience was a scary one, but doesn't think the issue will be reoccurring.
"Definitely messes with your mind mentally just because you want to go 100 percent all the time," the cornerback stated. "But it's like, in the back of my mind, if I go 100 percent all the time, all these plays, is it gonna affect me? But I'm gonna do it."
As a result, Sunday's game offered a bittersweet moment as he took the field again. Dorsey returned two kicks for the Lions against Tampa Bay for a total of 38 yards.
He's expected to continue being a contributor on special teams now that he's back in the fold.
"It's definitely special any time you get on the field regardless of who we're playing," Dorsey explained. "Regardless of what the score is, how our team's doing, everything like that, it's always special to be out there, regardless of all those circumstances."
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