Sam Wyche passes away
Did not know how to copy the link so I just copied the article. Most would love to have an extra 3 years and 3 months when they were hours away from death. A remarkable man in the game of football and the game of life.
Former Bengals head coach Sam Wyche says he was hours from death when a miracle happened
Sam Wyche is the former head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He led the 1989 Bengals to the AFC Title and a trip to Super Bowl XXIII. Wyche and his squad were just minutes away from winning the NFL Championship, until Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and the 49ers mounted a late fourth quarter drive that culminated in a 20-16 win for San Francisco and cemented Montana as an all-time great quarterback.
In the game of football, Wyche saw himself minutes away from being a Super Bowl Champion. In the game of life, Wyche saw himself minutes away from death.
In early September 2016, Wyche started to have heart issues and dizziness and went to the hospital to have some tests done. “They came in and told me I have two to five days to live,” Wyche told the Rich Take on Sports Podcast. “They came in and told me that my heart was in worse shape than I thought. They said 2-5 days unless they could get a heart. If one became available, they would perform a transplant.”
Sam Wyche speaking to a group recently in South Carolina. (Photo Courtesy: Kevin Faigle/Twitter @kevinfaiglewrdw)
Wyche told Richmond Weaver on the Rich Take on Sports Podcast that he was keeping tabs of the days that week on his calendar. “No heart on Monday,” said Wyche. “No heart on Tuesday and Wednesday and eventually, Friday is the 5th day and still no heart.”
Wyche asked doctors to extend the wait until the weekend and give it a chance. Saturday no heart. Sunday no heart. On Monday, September 12, 2016, the doctor came in and told Wyche that he still had no heart and that he had hours, possibly minutes to live.
“The doctor came in and told me that they have already made arrangements with hospice,” said Wyche. “He told me to call my friends and family because I wasn’t going to live through the night. This was my last day.”
As all of this was happening, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wyche’s son had just finished a high school football practice. Across town, Wyche’s grandson Sammy, was the quarterback of another local team and had also just finished practice.
Around that same time, 5pm or so, both Wyche’s son and grandson called their respective teams together at the end of their practices in a huddle to pray for their Dad and Grandfather. Praying for Wyche to somehow, someway, survive.
Back in Charlotte, almost 500 miles away from Cincinnati, that same doctor who had broken the grave news to Sam just hours earlier walked back into Sam Wyche’s hospital room again around 5pm. This time, he had a smile on his face.
“The doctor came in and told me it was a miracle. This is like a one in a million chance. The doctor found a heart with a person my size and told me once it arrived, that within hours, we were going to get surgery done.”
By 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 13,2016, Wyche was in surgery.
“The power of prayer works,” said Wyche. “I had people praying all over the country. Hundreds of thousands of hits on my facebook, praying for me. The whole thing is a miracle.”
A few days following surgery, Wyche said he felt great. “I was so lucky to have found a strong heart, one that fit me perfectly.”
Three weeks after the surgery, he was riding 15 miles on a bicycle back in South Carolina.
Now 8 months later, Wyche says he feels great and is truly blessed and thankful to be alive. “I tell my coaches, the players, the friends, my family, the thank you’s don’t go unnoticed and the I love you’s pay amazing dividends.”
Former Bengals head coach Sam Wyche says he was hours from death when a miracle happened
Sam Wyche is the former head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He led the 1989 Bengals to the AFC Title and a trip to Super Bowl XXIII. Wyche and his squad were just minutes away from winning the NFL Championship, until Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and the 49ers mounted a late fourth quarter drive that culminated in a 20-16 win for San Francisco and cemented Montana as an all-time great quarterback.
In the game of football, Wyche saw himself minutes away from being a Super Bowl Champion. In the game of life, Wyche saw himself minutes away from death.
In early September 2016, Wyche started to have heart issues and dizziness and went to the hospital to have some tests done. “They came in and told me I have two to five days to live,” Wyche told the Rich Take on Sports Podcast. “They came in and told me that my heart was in worse shape than I thought. They said 2-5 days unless they could get a heart. If one became available, they would perform a transplant.”
Sam Wyche speaking to a group recently in South Carolina. (Photo Courtesy: Kevin Faigle/Twitter @kevinfaiglewrdw)
Wyche told Richmond Weaver on the Rich Take on Sports Podcast that he was keeping tabs of the days that week on his calendar. “No heart on Monday,” said Wyche. “No heart on Tuesday and Wednesday and eventually, Friday is the 5th day and still no heart.”
Wyche asked doctors to extend the wait until the weekend and give it a chance. Saturday no heart. Sunday no heart. On Monday, September 12, 2016, the doctor came in and told Wyche that he still had no heart and that he had hours, possibly minutes to live.
“The doctor came in and told me that they have already made arrangements with hospice,” said Wyche. “He told me to call my friends and family because I wasn’t going to live through the night. This was my last day.”
As all of this was happening, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wyche’s son had just finished a high school football practice. Across town, Wyche’s grandson Sammy, was the quarterback of another local team and had also just finished practice.
Around that same time, 5pm or so, both Wyche’s son and grandson called their respective teams together at the end of their practices in a huddle to pray for their Dad and Grandfather. Praying for Wyche to somehow, someway, survive.
Back in Charlotte, almost 500 miles away from Cincinnati, that same doctor who had broken the grave news to Sam just hours earlier walked back into Sam Wyche’s hospital room again around 5pm. This time, he had a smile on his face.
“The doctor came in and told me it was a miracle. This is like a one in a million chance. The doctor found a heart with a person my size and told me once it arrived, that within hours, we were going to get surgery done.”
By 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 13,2016, Wyche was in surgery.
“The power of prayer works,” said Wyche. “I had people praying all over the country. Hundreds of thousands of hits on my facebook, praying for me. The whole thing is a miracle.”
A few days following surgery, Wyche said he felt great. “I was so lucky to have found a strong heart, one that fit me perfectly.”
Three weeks after the surgery, he was riding 15 miles on a bicycle back in South Carolina.
Now 8 months later, Wyche says he feels great and is truly blessed and thankful to be alive. “I tell my coaches, the players, the friends, my family, the thank you’s don’t go unnoticed and the I love you’s pay amazing dividends.”
Sam stopped by my tailgate once after his heart transplant. He was a gracious man who always had a good word for everyone, including those he knew just briefly. It's a great loss for Furman and the world.
Anyone who says money can't buy happiness never had season tickets.
Time to retire his number.
Anyone who says money can't buy happiness never had season tickets.
I got to know Sam pretty well the last few years working with the FFPA. Brilliant mind , always looking to do things better, and always having Furman at the front. The guy changed the way the game is played with his innovations. Interesting that a part of his email address contains "nohud" in it. Great guy who will be missed!
FurmAlum liked this
Heard him speak last year at an informal dinner and was surprised at how funny he was. RIP Sam. PHIC.
I was a classmate of Sam at Furman. Great guy with a wonderful sense of humor. Extremely well liked. His senior season he broke one of his fingers on his passing hand. The trainer/staff taped his middle two fingers together and he continued to play! The local sportswriter gave him the nick name In the Greenville News of “3 Finger Sam.” Just one of many stories about one of Furman’s finest Alumnus. Loved and respected by all.
One more Sam story. In 1968, I was living in Kentucky and saw in the paper that Sam Wyche was going to start next Sunday for the Bengals. I had lost touch with Sam after he left Furman and had no idea he was in the pros. I called the Bengals office and asked them to give Sam a message to call me that I was an old friend from Furman. Shortly thereafter, I got a call from Sam and told him I would drive over to the game. He said he would leave a ticket for me. I sat with his lovely wife, Jane, and we cheered madly for our Bengal and former Paladin QB. Sam completed most of his passes albeit mostly in the 5-15 yard range. Afterward the game, Sam drove Jane and me to a local restaurant. It was very crowded and I thought we would have a long wait. We were met at the door with a “Hi Sam” and we were immediately seated. Sam graciously gave me a run down on his prior 2 years with the Ironmen and at USC and his time with the Bengals. I thought about first meeting him at Furman and he was joking about himself and a story that he entitled, “Local Kid makes Good. How a 3rd string high school QB is now a starting QB in college” That was an improbable true story but this is a topper: “The local kid, a 3rd team high school QB is now a starting QB in the NFL.” We had a great time. He was the same Sam I knew at Furman with a couple of more years of life and experience. What he has accomplished with his life is nothing short of amazing as an athlete, a coach, an innovator, a humanitarian, a human being, a devoted husband and Father and as a friend. Absolutely, one of the finest Furman Alumnus.
Heard him speak several times. Very entertaining.
One favorite story he told was how he taught Joe Montana to thorw a football. "When the ball leaves your hand, it should be like flicking a BOOGER off your finger."