Former Jacksonville Jaguars star Tony Boselli told the Florida Times-Union about his harrowing battle with COVD-19.
Former Jacksonville Jaguars star offensive lineman Tony Boselli said the coronavirus nearly took his life, according to a report.
Boselli, who played for the Jags from 1995-2001 before his career was cut short by injury, told the Florida Times-Union, he was hooked up two IVs, plus needed oxygen to restore his breathing to a proper level. He was admitted to ICU on March 25 and not released until Monday.
Boselli, 47, said his 47-year-old wife, Angie, tested positive for coronavirus, but that her symptoms were far less severe, resulting in no fever, and that she has fully recovered. She never had to be hospitalized while he was taken to the Mayo Clinic in Florida for almost a week.
Per the report:
“For whatever reason, [COVID-19] buried me and didn’t do much to her,” Boselli said. “She’s obviously much tougher than I am. She had 7-10 days where she didn’t feel like herself, but her symptoms were mild.”
Boselli told the Times-Union he is not back to full strength.
“I can still feel my lungs aren’t all the way back,” the five-time Pro Bowler said. “I have no fever. The cough is under control. I get tired quicker, but I’m starting to answer emails.”
Boselli suffered the original symptoms in mid-March. He was hospitalized shortly thereafter. Boselli, who lost 20 pounds, found himself deteriorating and wondered if he was going to pull through.
“I guess the thought was there’s no way this is how the story is supposed to end here,” he said. “This is nuts. I never felt like, ‘poor me, or why me?’ You get sick, it happens. But the fact I was in the hospital with the coronavirus and crazy thoughts were going through my mind, like ‘I can’t believe this is going on.’
“The worst was my second day in ICU when they were upping my oxygen levels. That was probably the lowest, scariest moment. I had no family around me. I can’t remember exactly what the doctor said, something about the machine needing to go to another level for more oxygen if that didn’t work.
“Whatever drugs they were giving me, in combination with the oxygen, it got me to where I needed to be. I never had to find out what that next level was.”
Boselli issued a stern reminder to people who are dismissive of COVID-19 or the means being taken to try and control its spread.
“The reality is the majority of people my age or younger who get it are probably going to be fine,” Boselli said. “But look at me, I was healthy with no issues at all and ended up in ICU. I guess you can play the odds and be OK.
“But I can’t imagine anyone who has underlying medical issues already having to go through what I did [and surviving]. As all of us look at this coronavirus, you have to look at other people and the impact this could have on them. The last thing we want is to put people who are vulnerable at risk. There were people dying in the hospital, so it’s real.”
