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NFL Legend Reveals He Thought Heart Attack Was Heartburn

“I thought it was, like, heartburn, but it just kind of persisted,” he said.

Former National Football League running back and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Barry Sanders, 56, revealed that he suffered a heart attack last year that he first thought was heartburn. Sanders told CBS Sports that he was on a recruiting trip with his son, Noah, around this time last year when the “unexpected” health scare hit. “I couldn’t believe it, honestly,” Sanders said. “I thought it was, like, heartburn, but it just kind of persisted.” Sanders is sharing his story for the upcoming June 14 special, The Making of a Heart Attack, on A&E, encouraging others to take their cardiovascular health more seriously. “I’m learning through this process that there aren’t necessarily any warning signs—unless you do what we’re encouraging people to do, which is to go to the doctor, [and] get tested for LDLC levels or bad cholesterol,” Sanders said. He added, “There was just a certain ignorance that I had about things like that. But all of it has been a learning process.” Sanders retired from a decorated career in the NFL in 1999. Sanders’ sons, Noah and Barry J., have followed in his footsteps as football players.