Deljuan’s Surgery a Success!

“Everything went good!” commented Mary Lipford the grandmother of the Rivals100 #1 rated defensive end, Deljuan Robinson (6-4, 270, 4.8), after he underwent heart surgery today. “It sure did. He did pretty good and he came all the way through it and everything came out right.”

Deljuan went in for surgery this morning, and had some valve damage repaired. Mrs. Lipford spoke to Deljuan's mother just a little while ago and confirmed that the surgery was a success. “She said he is doing fine and he is now awake and talking. She said he is doing pretty good. He’s still in there, but he’s doing alright. It will probably be a few days before he comes home, but he’s okay."

An excerpt from a BulldogBlitz.com article on July 3rd:

"We found out he had the heart problem when he was younger, and we were supposed to get the problem fixed then, but then he got the physical to play at Mississippi State," commented Deljuan’’s cousin (who he lives with) Jennifer Webb. "Then that's when it came back up again.

"They told us when he was young, about 12, when he started playing, that it would just heal up, but it didn’t. If he doesn’t have the heart surgery, then he can’t play football. He has to have it, or he can’t play football."

Jennifer, along with the rest of the family has accepted the reality of what needs to be done. "We know that it has to be done, but he's not really talking about it. He hasn't had any trouble with it, but they are saying it could be worse later."

So how does Deljuan feel about it?

"It's good in a way, and it’’s not good in a way," he said. "It'sjust something I've got to get taken care of. That's the way I feel."

Has the situation gotten worse? "Something like that, I was born with it," Deljuan commented. "It’’s not life threatening. Truly to be honest with you, I don’’t know how to explain it. All I really know is I need to get it fixed, and I am going to get it fixed."

Deljuan has accepted his fate, and faces it with the same courage he faces his opponents on the field. So will he be back on the field?

"Yes, sir, I am going to be back bigger and stronger than ever," he said with a laugh. "There are no signs of problems. I don't have any, I mean. I am healthy as a horse, you know.

"It is a heart murmur that we discovered at the all star game." Although he was cleared to play, he was told that problems could occur if he continued to play football without the surgery.

"In the long run, if I want to continue to play football I need to get it taken care of now, because if I don't get it taken care of now, I may not be able to play football later on down the road. It doesn't effect me when I play football, it's just a problem I need to get fixed.

"If I get it taken care of now, I won't have any long term effects. I can go on with my life and have a good football career, hopefully. I am kind of nervous, but I realize it's a problem that I need to get fixed."

Deljuan goes in for surgery July 18 at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis. "I should get out of the hospital in just a couple of days," he said. "As far as feeling healthy and everything, it will probably be six weeks."

Look for updates as they become available.