Former USC star LenDale White reveals he nearly died from 'widow-maker' heart attack

Former USC and NFL running back LenDale White went through a near-death experience four years ago. White revealed in a recent appearance on the I Am Athlete that he suffered a heart attack at age 34 back in January of 2019 that left him fighting for his life.

He explained on the podcast that the left anterior descending artery in his heart had clogged. Doctors had to shoot two stints in his heart to get his blood flowing again.

“It’s called a ‘widow-maker,'” he said. “Because you’re really not supposed to make it back from that.”

According to the American Heart Association, only 12% of people survive a widow-maker heart attack when it occurs outside of a hospital.

White said he only told a few people about the heart attack at the time, including his former teammates Adam “Pacman” Jones and Chris Johnson. He admitted that health was not a priority for him during his playing career, but the scare opened his eyes and he takes much better care of himself now.

“I gave dogs 1,000 yards and was smoking kush every day and never worked out, squatted, nothing,” he said. “To go in there and be like, ‘I got to squat now for fun,’ it ain’t — you know. But s***, when you want to save your life, yeah, I’mma squat all day.”

LenDale White starred at USC from 2003-05, winning a national championship with the Trojans in 2004. He posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in his final two years despite sharing the backfield with Reggie Bush. He ended his college career with 3,159 yards rushing and 52 touchdowns, the latter of which is still the most of any player in USC history.

Following his college career, White was selected in the second round by the Tennessee Titans. He showed tons of promise early in his career, finishing with 1,110 yards rushing and seven touchdowns in the 2007 season. However, he failed a drug test ahead of the 2010 season that resulted in his suspension and eventual released from the Seattle Seahawks.

White attempted to make a comeback the following year but suffered a torn Achilles in the preseason. Now with his playing days behind him, he is focusing on making his health top priority.