New York Giants tight end Daniel Fells' struggle with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is not the first case of a football player being infected with this superbug, but it does show how grave this infection can be.
According to NFL.com, Fells has undergone multiple surgeries with more expected to treat the infection thought to have been transmitted through a cortisone injection he received to treat toe and ankle injuries. At one point, Fells was in danger of losing a foot, although that risk appears to have lessened.
MRSA originally was found mostly in hospital settings, but community acquired infections are now more common, especially among athletes.