Minnesota Vikings rookie Cameron Smith revealed that he is being forced to sit out the 2020 NFL season due to a congenital heart condition. Cameron, 23, only found out about the ailment after testing positive for COVID-19, and has opted to undergo an open heart surgery to fix his bicuspid aortic valve, he revealed. Here’s what else you should know about the talented linebacker:
1. He announced that he’ll be missing the 2020 NFL season on Instagram. “Earlier this week I found out I need open heart surgery to fix a bicuspid aortic valve that I was born with,” Cameron wrote on August 8. “Although this will unfortunately end my 2020 season, it is really a blessing that we found this as my heart is severely enlarged and wouldn’t have lasted much longer. I found this out after I tested positive for COVID and had to have further testing done as protocol.
“The Lord works in mysterious ways, but I could really feel him on this one,” he continued, adding the praise hands emoji. “There is a surgery that will allow me to continue to play football as soon as I am healed and cleared and I didn’t think twice about going with that one. By no means am I ready to be done playing football, there is still so much more I want to accomplish on the field. I’m going to attack this like everything else I have in life. Already looking forward to the comeback!”
2. He’s a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings. Cameron was selected by the Minnesota Vikings as the 162nd overall in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was first waived to the team’s practice squad, and was then promoted to the active roster in October 2019. Unfortunately, he was shelved on the reserve list again at the end of July 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19. Now, he will have to wait that much longer to play due to his surgery.
3. He played football for the USC Trojans. According to the Minnesota Vikings blog, Cameron “became the first Trojans linebacker to record more than 100 tackles (a team-best 112) in a season since 2012 and third overall since 2004. He garnered All-Pac-12 First Team from coaches and Second Team from the Associated Press.” Cameron’s “four-year run can best be described as smart and steady,” they added.
4. He’s a proud dog dad. Cameron recently adopted an adorable black Labrador puppy named Melly. He excitedly posed with the cutie pie on Instagram, and told his fans just how excited he was to retrieve ducks with her when she’s older. In the meantime, he got her a squeaky duck toy. Aww!
5. He has a real estate license. A true renaissance man! Cameron has been busy during the NFL off season. Along with adopting his adorable puppy and getting LASIK eye surgery, he told his Instagram followers that he achieved his goal of receiving his real estate license in Minnesota.