This year, the homecoming football game has a more sentimental meaning for junior Jack Burke. On July 3, Burke underwent a major open-heart surgery. Burke has always had heart issues, being born with his heart on the right side of his body. His surgery included having a vein in his heart closed off and another artificial vein added to connect his heart and lung. He spent a total of four days and three nights in the hospital, but this did not stop him and his love for football.
Even though he was not cleared to play sports or do any physical activity, Burke attended summer lifting the next week to support his teammates. “I showed up so I still felt like a part of the team,” Burke said. “It helped me recover because I would work on whatever it was, I was cleared to do.” The exercises Burke could do gradually grew over the course of the summer, going from none, to jogging, to finally being able to lift with weights.
Although Burke fully recovered, it was undoubtedly one of the hardest things he has done. The recovery process was long and frustrating, as Burke said, “I could feel myself losing muscle.” He said he constantly felt out of shape during practice but kept going in an attempt to recover faster than he was supposed to. Going from being in front during drills, to struggling to finish them pushed him to work harder. “I guess that’s just the competitor in me,” Burke said.
After a long battle to recover, Burke was finally fully cleared to play against Schuyler for the homecoming game on Friday, Sept. 12. In the first quarter, he stepped onto the field for his first offensive snap, and it could not have gone any better. He ran up the sideline and caught a 37-yard touchdown pass thrown by classmate Will Schieber ‘27.
Burke said, “It was surreal scoring that touchdown. I talked to my parents after the game, and they told me how it was not even three months since my surgery.” Burke talked about how grateful he is to have such good doctors, family, friends, and teammates around him to support him in his battle recovering after surgery. “They kept me going, and without them who knows if I would have made the recovery I have made,” Burke said.
Reflecting on the process Burke said, “seeing the condition I was in right after my surgery is amazing, and I give all glory to God for helping me recover.”
