Former Alabama Player Cyrus Jones Had Open-Heart Surgery

Former University of Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones had open-heart surgery Thursday in Denver.

The defensive back with the Denver Broncos (he's listed on the reserve/non-football injury list), had an anomalous coronary artery.

According to the Baltimore Sun, an anomalous coronary artery is a heart defect that causes an artery to grow in the wrong place. It's the condition that affected UCLA basketball player Shareef O’Neal, the son of Shaquille O’Neal. Shareef O’Neal missed his freshman year after being diagnosed.

Jones posted a picture on Instagram from the hospital: “When my doctor told me I would need open heart surgery I couldn’t believe what he had just said. Especially for something that I had been living with my whole life. It took me some time to fully grasp what that meant. Stuck in between wanting to feel sorry for myself, hopeless/angry at God, I had to make a decision.”

This is a tough one. A few weeks ago Cyrus Jones was on the best team in football and now he’s undergoing open-heart surgery.

His “decision” to maintain hope and faith instead of bowing to helplessness and negativity is inspiring to me. Love and prayers up. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/wXeSfJdyOO
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) December 13, 2019

Jones just turned 26 on November 29.

He began his Crimson Tide career as a wide receiver, but switched to cornerback for his sophomore season in 2013. The following season he was a second-team All-SEC pick by league media after tallying three interceptions and 13 pass deflections despite playing with a torn labrum in his hip.

Jones started all 15 games his senior year, making two interceptions and seven pass breakups, but he was even more impressive as a punt returner. He scored four touchdowns on a nation-leading 42 attempts (12.6 yard average), and was one short of tying the FBS record.

He was a second-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2016, but has also played for the Baltimore Ravens.