Simsbury (Conn.) receiver Danny Deitz learned last September that he would receive a heart transplant after he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart.
The news was life changing but it also meant the end of his football career. Or so it seemed.
But after missing last season, Deitz returned. He caught a pass Oct. 21 against Bulkeley/HMTCA/Weaver in his first game action.
“Earlier this season he got the clearance to play, and we all discussed with his family and the doctors how we’d manage that,” Simsbury coach Dave Masters told the Hartford Courant. “Danny manages it himself; he does need to warm up properly before he practices and plays and wears more padding, like for a motor-cross driver, over his heart.
“He’s one of the guys, a teammate. Still, it’s nothing short of a miracle he’s out there. He doesn’t take a single play off in anything he does football wise. He’s having fun and not taking a play off. He inspires our team every day.”
Friday night — 16 months after his heart transplant — he caught a touchdown pass in Simsbury’s 52-21 victory against Enfield. And here is how his coach responded:
In an odd coincidence, Danny’s dad, Terry, appeared twice on CBS’ reality show, “Survivor.” He appeared in 2005 on “Survivor: Panama” and “Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance” in 2015
