French soccer star Jean-Pierre Adams dies after 39 years in coma

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Former France, Paris Saint-Germain defender Jean-Pierre Adams dies after 39 years in coma

By Erin Walsh | Last updated Sep 6, 2021 1:43 PM ET

Former France national team and Paris-Saint Germain defender Jean-Pierre Adams died at the age of 73, 39 years after falling into a coma due to a medical error.

Le @PSG_inside a perdu, ce lundi 6 septembre, l’un de ses glorieux anciens. Défenseur des Rouge et Bleu et de l’Équipe de France, Jean-Pierre Adams avait porté les couleurs parisiennes de 1977 à 1979.

Le Club présente ses condoléances à sa famille et à ses proches.
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) September 6, 2021

Adams was administered a near-fatal dose of anesthetic before a routine knee operation in 1982, which resulted in cardiac arrest and caused brain damage.

Adams was discharged from the hospital 15 months after his surgery and had been cared for at his home in Nimes by his wife, Bernadette Adams, who told CNN in 2016 she believed her husband recognized her voice and felt her presence despite being in a coma.

Born in Senegal, Adams played for the French national team between 1972 and 1976. He also played for club sides, including Nice and PSG.

Erin Walsh

Erin Walsh is a Boston sports fan through and through. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bridgewater State University and currently is in pursuit of her Master's Degree in Journalism from Northeastern University. Follow her on Twitter @ewalsh90

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