Former Titans running back LenDale White reveals major medical emergency that almost took his life
LenDale White of the Tennessee Titans signs autographs for fans on the field after the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the USC Trojans on November 29, 2008 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC won 38-3. (Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty (Getty Images)
Former Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White revealed he almost lost his life to a heart attack at 34 years old.
During a sit-down with the "I Am Athlete" podcast, White spoke at length about how his left anterior descending artery clogged in 2019, which is what medical professionals sometimes refer to as the "widowmaker" because of how serious it was.
White knows he was lucky.
"My LAD [artery] was clogged, and I had to have two stents shot into my heart, so my blood can flow again," he explained. "It’s called a ‘widowmaker’ because you’re really not supposed to make it back from that.
"I never really knew all that until recently. I got into it because I’ve been so scared to understand. When you’re 34 and you have a heart attack, that changes your life forever."
White said that he only told a select few about the situation, including one of the podcast hosts, Adam "Pacman" Jones, who was his teammate with the Titans.
However, since that scare, White has been active in the gym, a place he didn’t even venture during his playing days.
"The physical got it changed, and I definitely work out now. And I hate working out. I gave dogs 1,000 yards and was smoking kush every day. Never worked or squatted nothing.
"When you want to save your life, yeah, I’m gonna squat all day."
White was a stud during his college days at the University of Southern California, racking up back-to-back seasons of at least 1,110 yards in 2004 and 2005 before declaring for the NFL Draft.
The Titans selected White in the second round, but he only lasted four seasons in the NFL. He recently told the Titans’ team website he struggled with depression and addiction during his time in the league, even considering suicide at the point where his career was reaching its end.