MIAMI — Al Blades Jr. always knew he’d be back with the Miami Hurricanes, but after his 2020 season was cut short his brief time away from the field has made him appreciate the game of football more.
Blades missed Miami’s last three games of the 2020 season after being diagnosed with myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle and a potential complication from COVID-19.
When the doctor gave him his diagnosis and he realized he would have to be out for three months, the fourth-year cornerback didn’t know what to think.
“I kind of just blacked out,” Blades recently said to the South Florida Sun Sentinel during a meet-and-greet event at Pilo’s Tacos in Wynwood for children with intellectual and physical disabilities.