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BY BOB HOLT
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark leads the team with 100 tackles this season, and was a big part in getting them back to the playoffs. But the last time Clark played a football game in Denver, he lost over 30 pounds and needed his spleen and gallbladder removed. At one point during his experience, Clark was afraid he was going to die.
Clark suffered that reaction in a 2007 game at Denver, and was held out of a game in 2009 by Steeler coach Mike Tomlin. Tomlin is not allowing Clark to play in the Steelers’ wild-card playoff game in Denver Sunday because of the potential danger to his health.
According to the New York Times, Clark has a sickle cell trait, and extreme physical exertion at a high altitude can attack his body’s organs. The Denver Broncos’ Mile High Stadium is exactly that - a mile above sea level.
ESPN reports the 32-year-old Clark will be replaced with Ryan Mundy, who has made two starts in his career. Tomlin told Clark on Monday he can travel with the Steelers, but he won’t be suiting up.
"Looking at all the variables he is at more risk, so we're not going to play him," Tomlin said.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that Clark played in Denver as a member of the Washington Redskins in 2005 and no noticeable reaction in that game. But doctors were concerned about how Clark’s heart would be affected if he suffered a similar reaction as the 2007 game.
Sunday will be the first game that Clark has missed with the Steelers since Nov. 9, 2009 -- the last game for the Steelers in Denver.
