Darren Waller revealed Sunday that he experienced an unspecified medical emergency during his last season with the Giants that left him fearful he might die.
Waller announced his retirement in a YouTube video, revealing that he was hospitalized in early November after paramedics were called to his northern New Jersey apartment when he had trouble breathing.
Waller was a drug and alcohol addict who overdosed in 2017 before getting sober and becoming a mental health advocate.
“It was a very scary situation,” Waller said. “I ended up in the hospital for three and a half days. I couldn’t stand up, go to the bathroom, feed myself. At the very least, it was a sobering and thought-provoking experience.”
“I say this because, when I return to my everyday life, I can clearly see that I came close to losing my life. And I don’t know if I would have truly felt like my life was going well if I had died then.”
Waller returned from a one-year suspension from the NFL in 2017 and was a Pro Bowl tight end for the Raiders.
He was acquired by the Giants in March 2023, with his one season at East Rutherford cut short by a hamstring injury on Oct. 29.
The following week, while driving home from shooting a video for his burgeoning music career, Waller began feeling feverish and thought he might have contracted COVID-19 for a third time.
He was “shaking uncontrollably” and “began to lose consciousness” in the room.
“I kept nodding [off] “I ended up calling 911 because I couldn’t breathe,” Waller said. “I thought I was speaking clearly on the phone, but the person on the other end could barely hear what I was saying.”
While waiting for paramedics to arrive and give him an oxygen mask, Waller stumbled onto a couch and collapsed, police said.
“I was taking deep breaths, yelling ‘Help!’ with each breath,” Waller said. “I thought maybe I could wake up my neighbors. I don’t know how long it took. It felt like an eternity. And then I thought ‘Damn, I’m going to die on this couch and no one will know.’ It felt similar to my overdose, like I was unplugged and I couldn’t breathe anymore.”
The incident sheds some light on Waller’s decision to forgo the three years and $35 million he is due to receive on his contract, which he said he has been drinking less.
“I am doing something [football] “I found a lot of joy, but the passion slowly faded,” Waller said. “I feel like I’ve spent most of my life just doing what I had to do. I’ve been trying to please people my whole life. I’m someone who’s struggled with feeling worthy, confident, and valued.”
Giants medical staff treated Waller as needed, and he returned to the field on December 17th.
“I want to thank the Giants,” Waller said, “for welcoming me, making me feel like part of the family and giving me the opportunity to think and make a decision during this time.”
