Father of Shane Lee gives emotional speech at Chargers practice after surviving heart attack

The Los Angeles Chargers received some words of inspiration from linebacker Shane Lee‘s father, Mark, at training camp this week.

Mark Lee suffered a heart attack in May and fell to the ground in the driveway of the family’s home. His wife, Tara, sprang into action and resuscitated him while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

Mark spent nearly two months in the hospital recovering but managed to survive the scary moment. He was finally cleared to travel a few days ago, right in time to watch Shane make his NFL debut in the Chargers’ preseason opener on Saturday.

Mark and Tara flew in Wednesday to surprise Shane, who had no idea his dad was going to be able to make it. He discovered the news following Thursday’s practice, when coach Jim Harbaugh introduced his parents to the whole team.

You can view the moment below.

what truly matters 💙 pic.twitter.com/5bK2ZtlpQi

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 10, 2024

Shane Lee rose up from the cluster of players and went to greet his parents with a hug. His dad then stood in front of the team to give a speech on the hardship he had been through and why it’s important to keep fighting through all obstacles in life.

“May 11th I died and my wife brought me back to life,” he said. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to be seeing my sons, both my children, but God had a plan for me. The Chargers organization allowed Shane to come home and check on me and the rest of the family.

“I have a few pictures of my children and my wife when they were young. I look at those pictures as inspiration when times get tough for me. At one point, I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t stand up by myself. So what I say to you guys is never quit. Anything is possible. Anything. I’m here. I thank you for the opportunity to address you guys. I love you guys and I love you, Shane.”

The Chargers signed Lee as an undrafted free agent out of USC this offseason. He played his final two years of college with the Trojans after beginning his career at Alabama, where he won a championship in 2020.

Shane Lee finished Saturday’s preseason game third on the team with six tackles, including one for loss, as the Chargers lost to the Seattle Seahawks. It was an impressive debut performance that was only made even more special with his dad in the stands.

Mark still has work to do in order to get back to full strength, but he’s just happy he was able to make it out for his son’s first NFL game. As he continues to go to physical therapy, it won’t be difficult for him to find motivation to keep pushing.

“What runs through my mind when I’m doing physical therapy is getting stronger so I can travel out here so I can support my son,” Mark said. “I know how hard he’s worked to get here.

“He’s not done yet. And neither am I.”