Taylor Decker was interviewed on the “Pardon My Take” podcast earlier this week. And he explained just how loyal he is to the Detroit Lions. Decker explained how he had appendicitis for the first month of the 2020 season and continued to play.
“I woke up in the middle of the night sweating, shivering. My stomach hurt so bad, and I was like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on. Am I constipated? Did I have too much Jet’s pizza? So I just felt terrible, man, I was just sweating, going crazy shivering. I was just sitting in the shower. I was like, ‘I can’t tell anybody about this. I just signed a contract extension. I have to play.’ “
Decker went on to say how he played through the pain in week one vs. the Chicago Bears and then finally told his team.
“They’re like, ‘Oh, yeah. You have appendicitis. You’ve had it for a week. You should have told us this sooner.’ I basically had appendicitis for the first month of the season. The antibiotics made it go away.”
Pardon My Take Podcast
Why it matters: The year was 2020 and it was just 12 days before the Detroit Lions were set to take on the Bears in their season debut. Decker just signed a five-year contract extension at a whopping $60 million with the Lions.
- But just a few days before the game Decker became violently ill. The then 27-year-old offensive tackle decided to not tell anyone and played through the game.
- When the pain still hadn’t gone away days after the game, Decker decided it was time to tell his team doctors.
- Doctors told Decker that he had appendicitis and instead of surgery, he opted to only take antibiotics.
What The Fans Are Saying About Taylor Decker
While Detroit Lions fans haven’t always been kind to Decker, oftentimes calling for him to be traded, there’s no denying his commitment now. Some fans can’t believe he didn’t get surgery.
