Is Being a Football Coach a Health Hazard?

The NFL was rocked by two major health scares this week to its head coaches.

First, Denver Broncos coach, John Fox, was taken ill to hospital after reporting chest pains - he was cleared of a heart attack, but will require heart valve surgery. Expect him to spend some time on the sidelines for recovery.

John Fox is 2 years away from hitting his 60 so heart conditions are a good likelihood for men his age

Then, on Sunday night, Houston Texans head coach, Gary Kubiak, collapsed on the field just before halftime of the Texans' game against the Colts - he was taken to the hospital but was cleared of a heart attack thankfully. He is now conscious and speaking to his family while medical staff figure out what happened.

There is no doubt football management is a stressful job even if the NFL thankfully isn't as brutal as the Premier League is to the security of its managers - amazing that none of Real Madrid, Chelsea and Man City's managers have suffered health problems despite the pressure put on them by their owners, and the length of the season.

Mind you, the USA does have one of the highest rates of heart attacks in the world and the pressure of the professional world over there is immense on anyone.

However, these incidents are quite freakish - these coaches are very aware and thrive on the pressure put on them. While the likelihood of heart failure is quite high for someone of John Fox's age, making his situation not a surprise, on the other hand, the pressure on the Houston Texans this season has been huge especially during this long losing streak - something Texans fans haven't experienced in 3 seasons.  

Matt Schaub's performance this season has probably not been good for anyone's health

Indeed, a lot has been on the mind of Gary Kubiak, what with QB Matt Schaub's performance this season and the issues in attack and defence.

It has definitely been the season from hell for the former powerhouses of thew AFC South.

So is being a football coach a health hazard? To be honest, I think coaching a pro football team isn't that much more stressful than being a CEO of a big multi-national corporation or working at a construction site. Yes, there is media pressure to perform but that same pressure also applies to big companies too especially when they can't make a profit.

Indeed, it is a very blessed position to be in and many would love to be in the shoes of a coach taking charge of a professional sports team. Ultimately these things happen and one must pray and hope that when a person is taken ill, that they're alright.

Get well soon Gary and John!