Former NFL quarterback Jared Lorenzen remains hospitalized in the intensive care unit, battling an infection as well as heart and kidney issues.
His family released an update on his condition late Saturday through Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio.
“On Friday, June 28th Jared began playing a bigger, more important game than he’s ever played before. Jared had not been feeling well for a few weeks and that finally caught up with him,” the statement began.
It continued: “He is fighting with every thing he has and his immediate family is by his side.”
Lorenzen, 38, played four seasons at Kentucky (2000-03) and led the SEC in passing yards (3,687) as a freshman. He still holds the Wildcats’ record for career passing yards with 10,354.
Despite his collegiate success, he was undrafted in 2004 and later signed with the New York Giants as a free agent, backing up Eli Manning in 2006-07. He appeared in four games, completing four passes for 28 yards.
Because of his weight, which was listed at 285 pounds in his NFL career, he was nicknamed “The Hefty Lefty.” Weight continued to be an issue for him after retirement and he said it climbed to more than 500 pounds.
In 2017, he launched The Jared Lorenzen Project, a videotaped weight-loss journey. He lost about 100 pounds within the first year.
