Ex-Titan LenDale White said he wasn’t supposed to survive 2019 heart attack

Just four years ago, former Tennessee Titans running back LenDale White suffered the kind of heart attack that most don’t survive.

On a recent appearance on the “I Am Athlete” podcast, White recalled the four-year anniversary of the frightening incident and how it scared him into taking his physical health more seriously.

"My (left anterior descending artery) was clogged, and I had to have two stents shot into my heart to where my blood can flow again,” White said. “It’s called a ‘widow-maker’ because you’re really not supposed to make it back from that. … I’d been so scared to even understand when you’re 34 and have a heart attack, that’ll change your life. So, that being said, (my) physical (health) got to change.”

White admitted he used to smoke marijuana during his playing days and rarely did squats or other conditioning drills. Now, however, he says he hits the gym and takes better care of himself following his health scare in January 2019.

White starred for the USC Trojans from 2003-05, rushing for 3,159 yards and 52 touchdowns, including back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons his final two years. He was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Titans. 

He spent four years with the organization, rushing for 2,349 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons. During his time in Tennessee, White struggled with his weight, topping out at 259 pounds before dropping close to 30 pounds in his final season, which he credited to cutting out tequila.