Marcellus Wiley Begs Shawne Merriman Not To Play

Former San Diego Chargers Pro Bowl defensive end Marcellus Wiley knows a thing or two about playing through major injuries. In 2001, Wiley played an entire season with a screw in his foot as a result of a break he suffered in practice. In a situation that eerily mirror's Shawne Merriman's current predicament, Wiley went against his doctor's wishes and decided to sip another tablespoon of “Suck it up Juice” and go play on Sundays...even though he would be in excruciating pain for the entire week. So when Wiley reaches out to warn Shawne Merriman of the potentially irreversible damage he could be doing to his body and career, he is doing so from first-hand experience:

Well, I have a story to tell you that may not change your mind, but you can relate to.

It’s 2001 and I’m the man! (Just like you!) I was coming off 10.5 sacks and just signed the biggest contract in San Diego Charger’s history. Because of my status, I was afforded lots of off-the-field opportunities, just like you! I was a media darling and you could see me everywhere from the top of Los Angeles to the bottom of San Diego during any given day. (More on the Fox TV deal later.) And then, something happened that would change my playing career forever.

During the Wednesday practice before our first regular-season game against the Washington Redskins, I broke my foot! Immediately, I was cared for by a great medical staff including head trainer James Collins and head surgeon Dr. Chow. They told me I had two options:

1) I could have surgery. The surgery would entail putting a metal pin in my foot, and I could play whenever that healed, maybe in 4-8 weeks. But that was going to be risky. Risky, because that course of action meant that my foot wouldn’t heal until after the season, due to continuous wear and tear. (Ask Jevon Kearse about the effects of this injury.) I would have to wear a bone stimulator daily AND rehabilitate it around the clock. With all that said and done, I STILL wouldn’t be 100 percent.

2) I could have the surgery, wait until I was 100 percent, which probably would have been the next year, and then play the next season at my best.

Marcellus Wiley shares the rest of his torturous story via his new blog; take a glimpse into his motivations and the consequences he ultimately suffered from his regrettable decisions. Will Merriman heed the warnings? Time will tell, but ultimately a man must make his own decisions.

Read: Memo to Merriman: Please Don’t Play!

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