could star ILB Rolando McClain fall to us at #18 after all?

[RuthlessBurgher]

There have been several athletes who have been able to perform at a high level while dealing with Chron's disease:

Jacksonville Jaguars QB David Garrard

former Hartford Whalers RW Kevin Dineen

former Calgary Flames RW Theo Fleury (who did struggle with drug & alcohol abuse, but that may have more to do with him being sexually molested by a junior hockey coach)

Ironman triathlete Jonathan Caron

Professional wrestler George "The Animal" Steele (I'd imagine that eating turnbuckles might have resulted in inflammation of one's digestive tract)

[Lebsteel]

I know someone who struggles with Chron's disease. Here is the problem that can arise with this disease. It usually requires of a lot pain killers....and pain killers can often result in an addiction. I've seen it first hand. Add in the rigors of playing football ( and the physical pain that comes with it), and I have to admit......this does concern me.

Yes I know he has been able to manage this and play football for some time...but a drug addiction is......CUNNING, BAFFLING, AND POWERFUL.

Yes, there are certainly a lot of unknowns with the disease. A flare up, which is very debilitating, can happen at any time and the individual could be very ill for days or weeks until is under control again. Of course, some people can go for several years between flare ups. You just can't predict it and that is the really bad part, aside from the intense pain, of the disease.

So, from a football perspective, if Rolando is drafted by the Steelers, they might have to plan to be without him for a few games here and there. No player's future is certain, but with Rolando, his occasional absence is really something that has to be factored into the selection.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

I made this statement before....

I would take Spoon over McClain even if he didn't have this disease.

[Lebsteel]

There have been several athletes who have been able to perform at a high level while dealing with Chron's disease:

Jacksonville Jaguars QB David Garrard

former Hartford Whalers RW Kevin Dineen

former Calgary Flames RW Theo Fleury (who did struggle with drug & alcohol abuse, but that may have more to do with him being sexually molested by a junior hockey coach)

Ironman triathlete Jonathan Caron

Professional wrestler George "The Animal" Steele (I'd imagine that eating turnbuckles might have resulted in inflammation of one's digestive tract)

RB, you MUST be old if you remember George "The Animal" Steele. He had a thicker coat of hair on his back and chest than a grizzly bear. Yes, I think the turnbuckles were probably not on his diet list. What a crazy character he was!

[RuthlessBurgher]

There have been several athletes who have been able to perform at a high level while dealing with Chron's disease:

Jacksonville Jaguars QB David Garrard

former Hartford Whalers RW Kevin Dineen

former Calgary Flames RW Theo Fleury (who did struggle with drug & alcohol abuse, but that may have more to do with him being sexually molested by a junior hockey coach)

Ironman triathlete Jonathan Caron

Professional wrestler George "The Animal" Steele (I'd imagine that eating turnbuckles might have resulted in inflammation of one's digestive tract)

RB, you MUST be old if you remember George "The Animal" Steele. He had a thicker coat of hair on his back and chest than a grizzly bear. Yes, I think the turnbuckles were probably not on his diet list. What a crazy character he was!

[NJ-STEELER]

there's an edmonton oiler who has the disease too.


a commercial runs on the NHL network for it

IIRC pisani

[RuthlessBurgher]

there's an edmonton oiler who has the disease too.


a commercial runs on the NHL network for it

IIRC pisani

Fernando Pisani has ulcerative colitis, which is another form of inflammatory bowel disease. It is similar to Crohn's disease.

[NJ-STEELER]

u right

good catch

[Steel Life]

If so - great! Then dangle him to other teams who want him & get some extra picks. Spoon, Williams or Odrick are the choices...

[NW Steeler]

I made this statement before....

I would take Spoon over McClain even if he didn't have this disease.