Ed Orgeron once joked he’d rather die on a football field than go to a hospital. In August, that remark nearly became reality. The former LSU coach reportedly spent 18 days hospitalized with life-threatening sepsis after falling ill during practice. Now, the 65-year-old has revealed just how close he came to death.
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Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger shared an update on Ed Orgeron released Thursday by Our Lady of the Lake Health in Baton Rouge. Speaking in the video, the former national championship-winning coach made no attempt to downplay what happened.
“First of all, I’m very happy to be here,” he said. “Dr. Katie’s here, Bud’s here, all the people who helped me live that night. I was about to die, and they saved my life. And I’m very, very grateful for that.”
His appreciation went well beyond the initial emergency. Orgeron described how members of the medical team continued helping him after leaving the hospital, even making visits to his home over the weekend. He also recalled a doctor making special arrangements on a Sunday so he could have his dressing changed.
“These guys are unbelievable,” he said. “They go far and beyond. I’m happy to be here.”
Orgeron compared the hospital staff to a football family, praising how everyone worked together when he needed them most.
The health scare began during LSU’s preseason practice, when Orgeron became ill but continued working until head coach Lane Kiffin sent him home. He was subsequently hospitalized for sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition in which the body’s response to an infection can damage its own organs. New Orleans journalist Kaare Johnson reported that Orgeron spent 18 consecutive days in the hospital.
The illness kept him away from the program for part of fall camp and LSU’s opening two games. During his September 14 media availability, Kiffin acknowledged the seriousness of the situation without disclosing the medical details.
“He’s doing better. It was a little bit scary. I’m not going to get into the details with that, but — so he’s doing better. He’s still not all the way back and he just means a lot to me. We’ve just been through a lot,” Kiffin said, according to Yahoo Sports.
The head coach then recalled Orgeron’s stubborn attitude toward seeking medical attention.
“He said, ‘Hey coach, you know I’m never going to the hospital, man. If I die, I’m dying on that field out there.’ So that’s who he is, that’s how he is with everything and sometimes that’s not the best thing to follow.”
By mid-September, Orgeron had returned to LSU’s football operations building. He also resumed recruiting duties, visiting New Orleans in early October to watch Edna Karr face Brother Martin as LSU pursued wide receiver Easton Royal, a Texas commit.
His return to game-day activities took longer. Orgeron watched LSU’s victory over McNeese State from a suite in Tiger Stadium before joining the team for its October 10 trip to Kentucky, his first road trip since the illness. He had previously missed the September 19 game at Ole Miss.
On October 24, he was spotted on the sideline using a cane before LSU’s game against Auburn. FootballScoop reported that he appeared to still be using one in Thursday’s hospital video.
Orgeron returned to LSU in May as a special assistant to recruiting and defense, reuniting with Kiffin after their previous coaching connections at USC and Tennessee. Before his illness, he had also worked with the Tigers’ defensive linemen during preseason camp.
The appointment marked another chapter at the university where Orgeron led LSU to an undefeated season and the 2019 national championship. Now, with his health improving enough for him to return to team activities, he’s looking forward to Saturday’s rivalry game.
“I’m excited about our game on Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Central Standard Time,” he said. “The LSU Fighting Tigers versus Alabama Crimson Tide.”
LSU enters the November 7 matchup at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play following a 38-17 victory over Auburn. Alabama also stands at 6-2, with a 4-2 conference record after defeating Texas A&M 31-20.
The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT at Tiger Stadium and air on ABC. According to LSU Athletics, it will be the first daytime LSU-Alabama kickoff in Baton Rouge since 2010, when the Tigers defeated the Crimson Tide 24-21.
For Orgeron, simply being back around the program after a life-threatening illness gives Saturday’s game a different significance.