Former Super Bowl Champion Jared Lorenzen 'Fighting with Everything He Has' in Intensive Care
Once upon a time, Jared Lorenzen fought on the football field with everything he had in order to become a standout quarterback at Kentucky and a Super Bowl champion as Eli Manning‘s backup on the Patriot-slaying New York Giants.
Now, Lorenzen is “fighting with everything he has,” according to his family, just to stay alive.
Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio tweeted Saturday that Lorenzen is in the intensive care unit battling “an infection, kidney & heart issues.”
Jones shared a statement from Lorenzen’s family that did not specify where Lorenzen is being treated or the status of his condition other than that it is severe enough to require the ICU.
“On Friday, June 28, Jared began playing a bigger, more important game than he’s ever played before,” the statement said. “Jared had not been feeling well for a few weeks and that finally caught up with him. He was brought to the hospital and fairly quickly was admitted to the ICU.
“Jared is battling an infection, kidney and heart issues. He is fighting with everything he has and his immediate family is by his side. We will attempt to update as often as possible, but please respect that some aspects of this journey are private matters.”
Jared Lorenzen’s family has asked me to share this update on his condition
Prayers for my good friend pic.twitter.com/lOmFGiPeAm
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) June 30, 2019
The 37-year-old Lorenzen played three seasons with the Giants after being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2004.
He completed just four of eight passes for 28 yards and appeared in four games, but he has a Super Bowl ring from his time on the roster of the 2007 team that shocked the otherwise-undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Lorenzen’s on-field accomplishments were far more notable before he got to the pros.
In 1998, he was named Kentucky’s “Mr. Football” while playing at Highland High School, and he led the Bluebirds to a 15-0 record and a mind-blowing 801 points, which stood as a state record until the same school surpassed it by scoring 849 points in 2011, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
In college, at Lorenzen took over Wildcats’ quarterbacking duties in 2000 a year after Tim Couch joined the Cleveland Browns, and over his four years he lit up the stat sheet for some eye-popping numbers that still stand among the greatest to this day.
Lorenzen led the SEC in pass completions with 321 and yards with 3,687 in his freshman year, and his 10,354 yards remains eighth all-time in arguably the strongest conference in college football. His 78 touchdowns are ninth all-time in the SEC as well.
He became a folk hero for playing the position while carrying some extra pounds — he was listed at 285 with the Giants at 6 feet 4 — and his struggles worsened after he retired from the NFL. Lorenzen was over 500 pounds earlier this year when he started a documentary series about his efforts to lose weight.
The ultimate sign of respect for any player is when fans of his archrival show up to wish him well, and even Louisville faithful were on social media to offer their prayers for Lorenzen’s recovery.
Rivalry aside…. prayers for Jared – from a Louisville fan
— Boba Card (@CardBoba) June 30, 2019
Come on Jared you can do this!!! I am a U of L fan, but I am a big fan of yours. I will be praying for you buddy!!!
— Mike Perry (@Mikeperry90) June 30, 2019
Lorenzen’s family has said they will update his condition, but all fans can do for now is hope and pray for the best.
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