{"id":43549,"date":"2025-04-24T02:53:33","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T02:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=43549"},"modified":"2025-04-24T02:53:33","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T02:53:33","slug":"breaking-former-cowboys-starter-in-his-30s-suffers-massive-heart-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=43549","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Former Cowboys Starter In His 30s Suffers Massive Heart Attack.."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Oct<\/p>\n

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the biggest fan bases in the league.\u00a0 Their knowledge about current and former Cowboys players is extremely well documented.\u00a0 As he head into the 2025 season, their hearts will be heavy and the team will have a little extra motivation.<\/p>\n

Breaking: Former Cowboys Starter In His 30s Suffers Massive Heart Attack<\/h3>\n
\"Oct
Oct 16, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Cowboys helmet on the bench against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Henry Melton is\u00a0fighting\u00a0for his life:<\/p>\n

At just 38 years old, Melton is recovering from a major heart surgery after doctors discovered a serious condition that nearly turned fatal. Just as he begins the long road to recovery, Melton is also grieving the loss of his mother, Cinithia Melton, who passed away earlier this week.<\/p>\n

A fourth-round pick by the\u00a0Chicago Bears\u00a0in 2009, Melton played for the Cowboys during the 2014 season and was a key contributor on a playoff-bound team. But now, his days aren\u2019t measured in tackles or sacks but in steps toward recovery. Longtime Cowboys reporter Clarence Hill Jr. shared the heartbreaking news on social media, urging fans to pray for Melton.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease put former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Henry Melton in your prayers,\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Hill\u00a0wrote\u00a0on X.\u00a0\u201cHe is still recovering from a near fatal heart issue that required major surgery\u2026 now he has to deal with the loss of his mother.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Sep
Sep 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Henry Melton (69) on the field before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at AT&T Stadium. San Francisco beat Dallas 28-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Back in February, Melton suffered a sudden and terrifying medical emergency. According to a GoFundMe page created by his family, Melton lost feeling in his legs without warning. His daughter, Pey, acted quickly and called 911.<\/p>\n

Paramedics rushed him to Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, where doctors diagnosed him with an aortic dissection- a tear in the major blood vessels branching from his heart. He underwent emergency open-heart surgery with just a 50\/50 chance of survival.<\/p>\n

The surgery saved his life, but the journey since hasn\u2019t been easy. Melton spent three weeks in the ICU and now faces a future filled with ongoing medical care and physical recovery. Despite the severity of his condition, the\u00a0GoFundMe\u00a0notes that Melton is gradually getting back on his feet.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Sep
Sep 24, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detail view of a Dallas Cowboys helmet in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here is a look at Melton\u2019s stats:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Year<\/th>\nTeam<\/th>\nGames<\/th>\nTackles<\/th>\nInterceptions<\/th>\nFumbles<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
GP<\/th>\nGS<\/th>\nCmb<\/th>\nSolo<\/th>\nAst<\/th>\nSck<\/th>\nTFL<\/th>\nInt<\/th>\nYds<\/th>\nTD<\/th>\nLng<\/th>\nPD<\/th>\nFF<\/th>\nFR<\/th>\nYds<\/th>\nTD<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
2010<\/th>\nCHI<\/th>\n16<\/b><\/td>\n0<\/td>\n16<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n2.5<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011<\/th>\nCHI<\/th>\n15<\/td>\n15<\/b><\/td>\n24<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n7.0<\/b><\/td>\n11<\/b><\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012<\/th>\nCHI<\/th>\n14<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n44<\/b><\/td>\n32<\/b><\/td>\n12<\/b><\/td>\n6.0<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/b><\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2013<\/th>\nCHI<\/th>\n3<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n0.0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n-1<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2014<\/th>\nDAL<\/th>\n16<\/b><\/td>\n3<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n5.0<\/td>\n6<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n4<\/b><\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/b><\/td>\n1<\/b><\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015<\/th>\nTAM<\/th>\n16<\/b><\/td>\n1<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n12<\/b><\/td>\n2.0<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/b><\/td>\n0<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\n80<\/th>\n36<\/th>\n134<\/th>\n95<\/th>\n39<\/th>\n22.5<\/th>\n29<\/th>\n0<\/th>\n0<\/th>\n0<\/th>\n0<\/th>\n7<\/th>\n3<\/th>\n6<\/th>\n0<\/th>\n0<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"Nov
Nov 2, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) throws a pass while being defended by Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Henry Melton (69) and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (90) at AT&T Stadium. Arizona beat Dallas 28-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the biggest fan bases in the league.\u00a0 Their knowledge about current and former Cowboys players is extremely well documented.\u00a0 As he… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43555,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nBREAKING: Former Cowboys Starter In His 30s Suffers Massive Heart Attack.. - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=43549\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING: Former Cowboys Starter In His 30s Suffers Massive Heart Attack.. - 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