Former Vikings coach makes national headlines in the best way possible
What makes sports so great is its ability to inspire. On Sunday, former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator John DeFilippo inspired the football world in a way that makes sports seem insignificant. DeFilippo spent the 2018 season as the Vikings offensive coordinator. He was hired after winning Super Bowl XXXIX as the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterbacks coach. […]
What makes sports so great is its ability to inspire. On Sunday, former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator John DeFilippo inspired the football world in a way that makes sports seem insignificant.
DeFilippo spent the 2018 season as the Vikings offensive coordinator. He was hired after winning Super Bowl XXXIX as the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterbacks coach. DeFilippo’s time in Minnesota was short-lived as the team fired him after a Week 14 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
DeFilippo spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears before ultimately landing a head coaching job with the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL. However DeFilippo would get life-changing news shortly after he was hired.
Around Christmas DeFilippo was hospitalized with extreme pain in his foot and back. He spent six days in the Mayo Clinic shuffling through a variety of different tests and doctors. Nobody could find an answer to what was ailing DeFilippo.
Finally the doctors diagnosed DeFilippo with a rare condition called Ankylosing Spondylitis. To sum it up, it is a condition that features an arthritic spine that causes pain and stiffness in the spine and in other joints.
He was told by two different doctors that he might never be able to walk unassisted for the rest of his life. But DeFilippo had a different idea.
DeFilippo made a promise that he would run out on the field in his first game as the head coach of the Breakers. New Orleans squared off with the Pittsburgh Maulers on Sunday to kick off the 2023 season and DeFilippo did this.
People like DeFilippo are the reason why sports can have such on impact. He is a perfect example of how one person in the right spot at the right time can have the power to change the way people think. It was a moment where sports and the challenges of everyday life collided, and one that will stick with those who tuned in for a long, long time.
