Advertisement
Soon, though, his life will change. Surgeons will slice open his chest and try to fix a potentially life-threatening problem. His burgeoning football career at the University of Minnesota must be put on hold for now, and it’s uncertain whether it can continue.
But any of the fears, gripes or other negativity Maresh might have inside weren’t apparent Tuesday when he and his parents spoke about the congenital heart defect that was discovered last week.
The middle linebacker from Champlin Park High, whom coach Tim Brewster heralded as the backbone of the well-regarded 2008 recruiting class, will have open heart surgery on June 26 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester to either replace or repair his aortic valve.
He was born with the abnormal valve, which prevents his heart from pumping blood efficiently. As such an elite athlete at such a young age, however, Maresh experienced no symptoms. It was only through a routine physical exam the university requires of all incoming athletes that doctors discovered a murmur in his heart and sent him for further tests.
“The priority of Sam living a long and full life has been the number-one concern through this process,” said his father, Bill Maresh. “As most of you would guess, Sam asked the doctors, ’Will I be able to play football again?’ I’m sure many others will ask the same question.”
Dr. Patrick Smith, the Gophers team physician and orthopedic surgeon, recommended that Maresh go to Mayo to see Dr. Hartzell Schaff, who led a similar surgery three years ago on former Minnesota Timberwolves guard Fred Hoiberg. He never played again in the NBA and now is an assistant general manager for the team; though one reason for that is a complication that arose during the operation now requiring Hoiberg to wear a pacemaker.
Maresh, however, said he’s not preparing for the end of his football playing days.
“I’m just hoping for the best. We’ll see what happens, I guess,” Maresh said.
He acknowledged that a medical redshirt this fall was a likely scenario.
“Hopefully I’ll get through the surgery and then we’ll go from there,” he said.
Though Smith isn’t a cardiac specialist, he predicted Maresh’s otherwise-strong health, positive attitude and home support will help get him back on the field.
“This family has handled it as well as any family I’ve ever known,” Smith said.
If the valve is successfully repaired, his ventricle returns to normal size and his sternum heals well enough to handle impact, Maresh should have a chance to continue. But there are no guarantees.
“I fully expect Sam Maresh to be leading us onto the field in 2009 when we open TCF Bank Stadium on campus,” Brewster said. “Whether he’s suiting up or not, that remains to be seen.”
Brewster has called Maresh the prize of this year’s recruiting class. He said Maresh was “going to be a flag bearer” for the program and would compete for a starting job in the fall.
The two-time Northwest Suburban Conference Defensive Player of the Year was also a three-time state wrestling champion. While other top talents from Minnesota signed elsewhere — Michael Floyd of St. Paul to Notre Dame and Willie Mobley of Eden Prairie to Ohio State, for example — Maresh gave Brewster a legitimate four-star in-state recruit to build around in a 2008 class that was widely ranked in the nation’s top 25.
“He could’ve gone anywhere in America and he chose to go to the University of Minnesota,” Brewster said in a brief phone interview. “I couldn’t love this kid any more if he was my own son.”
Brewster refused to discuss any team-related implications of the diagnosis.
“The only thing we’re focused on is his health. I could give a rip about his football career,” he said.
