Very rarely do we get to see enigmatic players with a story even more gripping. In 1999, we saw the beginning of this story when Aaron Gibson was drafted into the NFL. However, this towering 480lb giant’s journey took an unexpected turn, leaving fans and pundits bewildered. When Gibson finally left the NFL, he eventually fell victim to an incredibly peculiar injury—a ‘spider bite’ which would derail whatever hope was left of his athletic career. The ‘Spider Bite’ would eventually lead to the amputation of Gibson’s big toe.

During his playing days as an Offensive Tackle, Gibson weighed well over 400 pounds, violating multiple team policies and being fined a dozen times by the franchises that employed him. From being a first-round pick for the Detroit Lions, to ending his brief career in just six seasons and suiting up for less than a quarter of the games. Here is the story of Aaron Gibson as chronicled by Bleacher Report in 2017. 

The ‘Spider Bite’ that derailed the career of Aaron Gibson

Gibson was projected to be a game-changing pick for the Lions. So much so that the team moved over three draft picks to the Dolphins to acquire Gibson with the 27th Pick. But alas, it wasn’t meant to last, as Gibson’s career would be affected by injuries even before he stepped onto the gridiron for his first game, beginning a pattern that would haunt him forever. Aaron Gibson’s troubles were unfortunately not over, as they would take a turn for the worse over half a decade ago. 

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A ‘Spider Bite’ would be the final nail in the coffin of Aaron Gibson’s athletic career, and almost his life. While his injuries had long derailed his athletic prowess, the OT would suffer a venomous spider bite while working near his backyard pond. While he initially ignored the pain, it would increase over time, dissolving the tissue over his left toe. Eventually, the poisonous bite would force the amputation of Gibson’s big toe. The potent venom would have claimed Gibson’s life, spreading all the way to his hip, had he not received medical care in time. But alas, this wasn’t the first struggle that he faced in a life filled with struggles.

A career rife with pain 

Gibson rose up from a poverty-stricken childhood to fight for his way into the NFL. But his football career never got the chance to take off. Throughout his career, Gibson dealt with broken bones, dislocations and a plethora of injuries caused by his weight, which resulted in the OT only appearing in 38 games. To deal with the pain and control his weight, caused in part by his mammoth 30,000-calorie diet, Gibson would regularly consume over 70-80 pills a day. 

From painkillers to aspirin to diuretic pills to reduce his weight, Gibson tried everything he could to control the pain in his body. However, for all the sorrow that he suffered, there is a silver lining to Gibson’s journey. After years of neglect led to his 480lb peak weight, he would eventually meet his present partner, and start his weight loss journey. Gibson would undo the decades of damage to his body, by losing nearly 200 pounds in the following years. 

Even after all the suffering Gibson dealt with, he’s not a man to hold any regrets. At 45 years old, and a lifetime of pain behind him, Aaron Gibson has no regrets about the life he’s lived. 

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