Louisville honors a star who stayed: Hornung

They unveiled a sparkling 7-foot statue of Paul Hornung outside Louisville Slugger Field last night. He was surrounded by all the expected big shots, former football players and politicians.

They told the Paul Hornung stories they always tell. You know the ones. Lots of booze. Lots of women. Lots of wagering. Lots of reminders that Hornung's nickname -- the Golden Boy -- fits him better than a Brioni suit.

"He was the best football player who ever played," said Max McGee, Hornung's former teammate -- and fellow night owl -- in Green Bay. "He could run, throw, kick, block. Paul could do it all."

A smile betrayed McGee as the crowd awaited the punchline.

"But boy, you should have seen him after the game," McGee said. "He was twice as good then."

Hornung played along with the party-boy theme. He always has. Hornung's trademark line has always been that he's gone through life on scholarship.

But tucked into the fourth row in the gathering of several hundred people at the corner of Preston and Witherspoon streets, hidden by the football legends like McGee and Jerry Kramer, horsemen like D. Wayne Lukas and politicians like Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson, were reminders there is more to Hornung than a martini and a wandering eye.

Always has been, even if those Hornung stories don't draw as many laughs as the ones about how late Hornung and McGee stayed out on the night before the first Super Bowl.

Ask Sister Rebecca Miles. Or Sister Clara Johnson.

They work at the Sister Visitor Center at 2235 West Market Street. And every time Hornung receives a photograph or bobblehead doll to autograph, he asks the person requesting the autograph to make a donation to the Sister Visitor Center. Hornung sets aside other money for the four scholarships he has endowed at Notre Dame, his alma mater.

That's been Hornung's game plan for a long as either Sister can remember.

"His loyalty and caring is greatly appreciated," Sister Clara said. "We couldn't do so many of the things we do in helping people with food or clothing or medical emergencies without Paul's generosity."

Sister Rebecca said Hornung does not have a secretary deliver the donations to the center. Hornung brings them, several times a month. For Hornung it's a trip back to the Portland neighborhood where he grew up with his mother, Loretta, the neighborhood where he began his remarkable football journey at Flaget High School.

We spend so much time talking about Hornung's 1956 Heisman Trophy and the record 176 points he scored for the Packers in 1960 that we forget the most remarkable thing about Hornung isn't that he could always find the end zone. No, it's that he always found his way back to Louisville.

The man could have been a celebrity anywhere in the country. But the only part of the country that mattered to him was Louisville. You get a statue better looking than any of those starlets Hornung used to chase when you show the loyalty to your hometown that Hornung has shown.

"This has always been my home," Hornung said. "I've never left. And I'll never leave.

"A lot of wonderful things have happened to (wife) Angela and me, but nothing like this. It gives me the opportunity to represent my hometown forever, and it's something I'll never forget."

Lenny Lyles has known Hornung since high school. Lyles played at Central, then at the University of Louisville and then with the Baltimore Colts. Lyles is a successful businessman, but he remembers when he couldn't secure financing to construct the Lyles Mall at 26th and Broadway.

"Paul and (his late business partner) Frank Metts made it happen," Lyles said. "Paul really went to bat for me. He went to the banks and told them I was trying to do something for my hometown, just like he was."

Last night Paul Hornung's hometown did something for him. And it didn't have anything to do with the late nights, the women or the booze.

You can reach Rick Bozich at (502) 582-4650 or rbozich@courier-journal.com. Submit questions at courier-journal.com/bozich.

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Living Heart Foundation’s Shape-a-Life CV Program

Life in the National Football League may be exciting, but it is also physically and emotionally demanding. The Founder and Director of the Living Heart Foundation (LHF), Arthur “Archie” Roberts, MD, played briefly, while going to medical school, as a back-up QB in the mid-1960’s with the Cleveland Browns and the Miami Dolphins. He later became a well-known heart surgeon for over 20 years. During that period, although he personally felt pretty good, trouble was brewing inside his body. He rarely saw his doctor, discovered he had high blood cholesterol, and put on a little too much weight. One day, while speaking to other doctors, he unexpectedly had a stroke. Fortunately, his stroke was mild and reversible. He had a second chance with the rest of his life and is committed to helping players avoid the mistakes that he made. From these life experiences, the players health program or “Shape-a-Life Program” was born.

The LHF, a non-profit entity, founded by Archie in 2001, uses its established nationwide healthcare network to provide technically advanced, voluntary, health screenings for active and retired professional football players at regional participating medical facilities within major geographical areas around the country. The LHF works closely with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) to plan and deliver the health screening program. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and its Chapters, as well as the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) assist the Foundation by providing skilled personnel to assist at the screenings and expert medical planning to strengthen program content. A program goal is to offer a CV health screening program designed to improve the early identification of health risk in these former elite athletes, without a financial charge to the players for the screenings. An example of a category of football players who might benefit most from our health screening would include players of very large body mass who would be expected to have, or soon develop, a variety of co-morbidities including hypertension, diabetes, and elevated cholesterol. Such conditions are highly associated with heart disease and stroke. It will also be interesting to correlate such medical co-morbidities and specific health screening findings with the extent of athletic injuries encountered during their careers. Regularly scheduled repeat screening tests will provide the LHF with the ability to define health risk stratification for the players. This knowledge will empower them to learn about ways to limit the impact of evolving health problems that may occur as they actively complete and subsequently age in their lives after football. In some ways, the transitional time from active to retired player, and the subsequent several year period, may be a particularly vulnerable period for many former elite football players.

The LHF medical group will coordinate regional health screenings, health improvement guidelines and specific programs for the player and, if the player chooses, his personal physician. For the retired players, an interactive website and electronic medical record for preventive health information and individual health tracking is also available. Individualized program plans in nutrition, exercise, lifestyle health, motivational guides and general preventive medicine will be available to interested former players. The LHF team provides health guidance and is available to answer health questions that might concern the retired player.

The player also has the option of carrying a health card, which allows the player, or his loved ones, to provide access to his health information as desired. Thus, a healthcare professional, on a 24/7 basis, anywhere in the world that is internet-enabled, may receive health data within minutes. This process supports better medical care for the player. The player initially signs permission forms to participate in the screening and permit inclusion of his data into an anonymous group database that will be analyzed by the LHF scientific group. A confidential preventative health record will be created and given to each participant including direct screening results, as well as medical interpretations of results from echocardiograms, electrocardiograms, pulmonary function tests, blood tests and sleep apnea screening. The findings from the health history questionnaire, nutritional survey, exercise pattern and lifestyle profiles can also be included in this individual health record. In addition, all of the health information will be maintained in the LHF confidential group health record database. That database concept permits tracking and evaluation per individual, as well as outcomes analysis of the collective health for the whole group.

The LHF program does not end with health screening and the delivery of results to players. The players will be tracked by the LHF and individual health trends are discussed with them as their health data is studied. The retired athletes are shown the LHF health programs and guidance will be offered when particular health needs are identified. The LHF group is willing to communicate with the retired player’s personal physician, if the player desires such interaction. At all times, the LHF would respect the patient- physician relationship that exists between the ex-player and his doctor. The LHF would function as a health resource and a scientific study group helping to provide understanding related to health outcomes in retired football players. The LHF believes that preventive health efforts are long-term and involve lifestyle changes and self-motivation. In the retired player, this may be accomplished through a joint effort involving the LHF, the retired player and his personal physician. Such teamwork will go a long way in improving health and reducing future medical expenses for these former players. The health screening program is administered by the LHF in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The Foundation utilizes dedicated volunteers, regional area doctors, nurses and hospital healthcare technicians and hospital partner facilities for the regional health screenings. A LHF network physician is also present at each regional screening.

The health screening team training center is located at Monmouth University, in central New Jersey. The health database center and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for the LHF program is situated at the Penn State Medical School in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The LHF utilizes its network of medical advisors and practicing physicians to oversee the screening procedure, education, tracking process and data analysis. Physicians licensed in each state also actively participate in the review of the health testing information gathered in their state. As part of its mission, the LHF also establishes public relations efforts, including participation in community-based and scientific meetings to promote the importance of health prevention, early identification of health problems, and institution of lifestyle health programs to minimize adverse health outcomes. A LHF team objective is to work with the active and retired players to increase the public’s awareness of proactive health measures and preventive wellness. The Foundation has formed a close association with the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes ( CSRA ) at the University of North Carolina which joins LHF at each screening event. The LHF has also entered into a cooperative agreement with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). The NFLPA has agreed to champion players’ health and supports the LHF in its effort to improve health outcomes in players. Together, these three organizations form a nurturing triangle which encourages players to participate in our regional CV health screening program

A recent cooperative effort couples the actions and dedication of active and retired players who participate in our health screening program with community health efforts organized by the LHF and its Sponsors. Such outreach efforts should help us to acquire financial support from new sources in communities across the country. Joint fundraising efforts, including golf tournaments and outreach to regional companies by the NFLPA and its local Chapters, will enable our health programs to expand to new areas and include more current and retired players. The LHF and the players will also influence younger elementary, high school and college students, including minorities, to learn more about their health and how they can maximize the quality of their lives as they prepare for the future. Together, the NFLPA, its players, CSRA and LHF provide a powerful tool to raise awareness about the dangers related to cardiovascular disease. Our collective organizations have identified childhood obesity and minority health disparity, including conditions affecting African Americans and Hispanics, as outreach programs demanding our special interests in the upcoming year. We plan to educate, screen and develop follow-up plans in communities to minimize the health gap among racial groups in this country. Together, our groups, in conjunction with hospitals and universities around the country can and will make a difference.

Currently available LHF health screenings include:

• Electrocardiograms (ECGs)
• Echocardiograms (ECHOs)
• Carotid vascular ultrasound
• Pulmonary function tests (PFTs)
• Blood sugar, cholesterol profile,
• Blood liver enzyme, triglycerides
• Body mass index and body fat
• Blood pressure and pulse analysis
• Sleep Apnea (overnight home sleep)
• Cardiac risk assessment
• Health history questionnaire
• Nutritional health status
• Exercise performance
• Lifestyle motivation profile

Although the Living Heart Foundation’s state of the art, computerized screening equipment provides some immediate, on-the-spot findings to be discussed with the player; electrocardiograms, pulmonary function tests, echocardiograms, carotid ultrasounds and sleep apnea studies are sent electronically to our MD specialists for analysis and reports. These results are returned confidentially to the individual player within four weeks of the screening event.

The LHF began delivering this coordinated health program in the summer of 2003.Our organization is fortunate to have had Pfizer as the initial Sponsor for the Foundation’s CV Health Screening Program for active and retired professional football players. The LHF and its partners are also now expanding Sponsorship participation as the program grows and the number of player’s and communities participating in programs around the country increases dramatically.

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x-NFL players at higher risk of heart trouble, studies say

By LEE BOWMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
03-JUN-06

There's new evidence that living large, and particularly bulking up to play football, increases the risk for heart disease.

Two studies of nearly 400 retired National Football League players show that more than half of the game's biggest men -- the linemen -- suffer from heightened risk factors for heart disease and are 54 percent more likely to have enlarged hearts than other former players.

The results, presented Saturday during the annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Echocardiography in Baltimore, are part of mounting evidence that football's super-sized competitors are at increased risk of illness and death related to their weight.

"NFL linemen are required to increase their size and strength to remain competitive, which may expose them to risks later in life," said Dr. Martin Goldman, director of the echocardiography lab at the Mount Sinai Heart Center and a professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and a senior author of both studies.

A Scripps Howard News Service study of deaths among more than 3,850 active and retired pro football players born since 1905, published in January, found that the heaviest athletes were more than twice as likely to die before their 50th birthday than their teammates. Looking at the deaths of 130 players born before 1955, the study found that 77 were obese and a fifth died of heart disease.

Another study, done for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, found that retired NFL linemen have a three times greater risk of dying from heart disease than players at other positions.

Data for the latest studies were compiled by the Living Heart Foundation, a national non-profit heart health screening program set up for professional, college and high school football players five years ago by retired heart surgeon and NFL quarterback Dr. Archie Roberts.

Roberts, a backup quarterback for the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins in the mid-1960s while he was also a medical student, set up the foundation after he himself suffered a mild stroke. He had been largely ignoring his own weight gain and high cholesterol.

Since 2003, the foundation, in cooperation with the NFL Players Association, has done screenings of about 700 retired players, with test data from about 400 used in the new studies.

"These studies affirm what we have long believed, that retired NFL athletes may want to consider having heart ultrasound tests and metabolic screenings to detect cardiovascular health problems before they become advanced and more likely to harm these former players," Roberts said.

For one study, the researchers analyzed echocardiograph results from 210 non-linemen and 93 linemen and found that the linemen were 54 percent more likely to have an enlarged heart. Many athletes who undergo vigorous conditioning, from high school through the professional ranks, develop enlarged hearts in the left ventricular and left atrial areas, which are considered risk factors for heart disease, stroke and death in the general population.

"This is just a snapshot of one exam in these retired players, but the results for the linemen are still significant,'' said Dr. Lori Croft, deputy director of the Mount Sinai lab. "The literature suggests that in many athletes, the enlargement of the heart regresses after the intensive workouts end. But this study shows thicker hearts persisting in many retired NFL players. The average age of the study group was 53, so most of the players had been out of the game for at least 10 or 15 years."

While not even all retired athletics need to have the ultrasound tests, the study demonstrates that the tests can reveal persistent problems, the researchers said.

The second study evaluated 252 non-linemen and 130 linemen for metabolic syndrome, a group of heart disease risk factors that include high blood pressure, obesity based on body mass index, poor cholesterol profiles and insulin resistance.

Among the general population, 21.8 percent of adults have metabolic syndrome. Among the retired linemen, 50.7 percent met the criteria, while the non-linemen actually fell slightly below average at 20.3 percent.

"Waistlines are expanding in the NFL and in the non-athlete population," Croft said. "There are a lot of big people out there. If people see this can happen to elite athletes, they may realize this can happen to anyone.

"Football players aren't unique in thinking they don't need to worry about cholesterol or blood pressure until they're in their 60s or 70s. If these results lead to greater awareness of this threat and lifestyle changes among athletes or non-athletes to address it, we'll be getting a payoff from this."

On the Net: www.asecho.org

www.livingheartfoundation.org

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