A 21-year-old college football player has been hospitalized in Mississippi after going into cardiac arrest.
Kaseem Vauls, a defensive lineman at for Jackson State University, is being treated at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, according to local news outlet WLBT.
Vauls, whose Twitter bio says he stands 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 270 pounds, was a red-shirt freshman who transferred from Alabama A&M ahead of the 2022 season. This is now his second season with the Tigers. According to The Clarion-Ledger, Vauls has not yet played a game this season.
Before college, he attended Irmo High School in Columbia, South Carolina.
A throwback won the NC HS state wrestling championship as a heavyweight as a freshman! pic.twitter.com/PjxGrRkk7Q
— Kaseem Vauls (@KVauls52) January 18, 2023
On Wednesday afternoon, Vauls’ father, William, said on Twitter that his son had been having stomach pains and went into cardiac arrest that morning.
Vauls had reportedly lost consciousness during that time and needed to be resuscitated by doctors, according to the Ledger.
This is Kaseem Vauls father, William he played on the football team @jacksonstatefb @GoJSUTigers and he went in to University of Mississippi Medical Center last night with stomach pains early this morning he went in cardiac arrest I all athletes and alumni and faculty to please
— Kaseem Vauls (@KVauls52) February 15, 2023
William said his son later underwent an emergency surgery, which he said went well.
After that point, Vauls’ health appeared to be “progressing” and William told the Ledger that he was in “stable condition, but still critical.”
Hey Everyone this is William, Kaseem father the emergency procedure went well but it is still heavily sedated. The doctors said he progressing they will gradually lower down his medication he on and the lower down the input of the machine he on gradually, which is a good sign
— Kaseem Vauls (@KVauls52) February 16, 2023
All of y’all are truly a blessing. Thank you so much..
— Kaseem Vauls (@KVauls52) February 16, 2023
Vauls’ father explained to the Ledger that doctors believe that heart failure caused a build-up of fluids throughout his son’s body, which led to the stomach pain.
“His liver was suffering as fluid built up with toxins in his liver, kidneys and blood. All those toxins built up in his blood stream and his heart could not operate properly and the machine is being used to clean out the blood and toxins,” William told the Ledger.
Despite experiencing this pain for about two weeks, Vauls continued to participate in activities with his team and didn’t notify coaches or trainers of his pain, the Ledger reported.
When Vauls was ultimately hospitalized on Wednesday, a cardiologist told his father that Vauls’ heart function was only around 10 to 15 percent, according to the Ledger.
William did note the possibility that Vauls’ heart failure is genetic and told the Ledger that he himself had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation seven years ago.
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