Former Raiders Linebacker Neiron Ball in a Coma After Suffering a Brain Aneurysm Rupture

Neiron Ball is fighting for his life after suffering a brain aneurysm rupture.

The ex-Oakland Raiders linebacker was placed into a medically induced coma on Sept. 16, reports his former organization.

“The Raiders ask that Neiron Ball and his family are kept in the thoughts and prayers of the Raider Nation during this difficult time,” the team wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

The Aneurysm and AVM Foundation also provided an update about the 26-year-old athlete’s condition in a Tuesday tweet.

“UPDATE: Upon speaking with @neiron_11‘s family, we’ve learned that he’s been in a medically-induced coma since the 16th,” the organization wrote. “We believed Neiron’s #AVM was obliterated, that doesn’t seem to be the case as he developed an aneurysm which burst. His family asks for continued prayers.”

The news comes almost a decade after Ball was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM).

During his sophomore year at the University of Florida, a then-18-year-old Ball was forced to undergo emergency brain surgery after doctors discovered he had bleeding on his brain, ESPN reports.

The discovery was a sign of the hereditary condition which causes the brain’s blood vessels to tangle and rupture.

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“I developed a headache and was feeling off balance,” Ball told ESPN. “I was sent home to rest and I never felt any better. I was taken to the emergency room and then everything was discovered and it all got kind of fuzzy after that.”

According to the outlet, the surgery was a success and Ball was back on the field within a year. Doctors claimed that while there was “a small chance of a recurrence of his AVM,” it was “highly unlikely” to return.

Upon coming back to football, Ball’s collegiate career was successful but short-lived. His 2014 season ended early after a knee injury.

Still, that didn’t stop Ball from getting NFL looks. In May 2015, he was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders but only played in six games before re-injuring his knee and getting cut by the team in 2016.

Just a month ago, Bell — who has very little presence on social media — shared a sweet video on his Instagram in honor of his 26th birthday.

The athlete, who has two daughters, expressed his appreciation to God for allowing him to make it another year.

“Thank God for allowing me to see 26 and blessing me with these two princesses as lifelong gifts ????‼️#Thankful #KingDay??#LeoGang?” he wrote.

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