Dontay Corleone Out Indefinitely with Non-Football Illness
The University of Cincinnati Athletic Department released a statement Friday morning stating that All American defensive tackle Dontay Corleone will be out indefinitely after blood clots were found in his lungs.
Per release, Corleone's condition was discovered after he reported chest discomfort and shortness of breath to the Cincinnati athletic trainers.
A team, led by senior associate athletic director for sports medicine Aaron Himmler and head team physician Dr. Jon Divine, worked closely with physicians and specialists at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center on diagnosis and initial treatment.
Corleone spent one night at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and was discharged on June 14. He has been back home, recovering since.
Statement from Senior Assoicate Athletic for Sports Medicine, Aaron Himmler:
"Dontay came to us with chest pain and told us he was having trouble breathing. Over the course of two days, we ran several different tests with the UC Medical Center that determined he had blood clots in both of his lungs. His recovery has been going well. Thankfully, we caught this early, and we are hopeful he will be able to safely return to playing football in the near future. We are currently consulting specialists to determine next steps. Most importantly, Dontay is in good health right now. We are grateful for the hard work of Dr. Jon Divine and our partnership with the UC Medical Center that allowed us to quickly identify and treat the problem."
Corleone also released a statement, expressing his gratitude for the quick response to the findings.
"I am incredibly grateful to my family and for Aaron Himmler, Dr. Jon Divine, our whole medical staff and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for guiding me through this over the last few weeks."
"Right now, I'm focused on my recovery. My hope is I will be able to return to football soon, but in the meantime, I will do everything I can to rehab and help the football program as a leader and mentor to our younger players. I'm looking forward to being around the guys soon. The sky is the limit for the Bearcats this season. I love my teammates, our coaches, this university, this city, and – of course – this fanbase, which has been incredibly supportive of me over the last three years."
While Corleone's absence is a big loss on the field, head coach Scott Satterfield has made it clear that Dontay's health is the only thing that matters at the moment.
"I'm extremely grateful for our medical staff, who identified this problem right away. We are going to support Dontay in every way we can through this. Dontay is an outstanding leader and everything you can ask for in a student-athlete. He genuinely cares about doing everything right and leading his teammates. We know he is going to do everything he can to pour into our program while he recovers and focuses on his health. My top concern is for Dontay's health. Football isn't a priority right now. We will be here to help support Dontay through every step of this process."
Corleone and Cincinnati's sports medicine team are currently consulting specialists to determine the next steps in his recovery process.