Iowa Basketball Trainer Saved Team Manager’s Life at Practice

Pictured above right is Iowa men's basketball manager Luke Slavens. On the left is Iowa's athletic trainer, Brad Floy. Floy is also the man credited with saving Luke's life just 11 days ago.

It was Sunday, January 12. Slavens was rebounding basketballs for members of the team who were prepping for a game at Northwestern two days later. When Slavens, started to feel dizzy, Iowa players Joe Wieskamp, Joe Toussaint, and Patrick McCaffery told him he should sit with Floy.

Floy was asking Slavens questions when he stopped answering. After Floy and a student assistant laid Slavens down, his heart stopped. Floy immediately went to work with a defibrillator and CPR, assisted by campus police. Slavens' heart would be stopped somewhere between two and three minutes. Floy told Hawk Central that's when “Luke’s arm came up and pushed his mask up off his face."

Slavens, who experienced no issues while playing sports growing up, had been diagnosed with Brugada Syndrome at age 10. It's a genetic disorder that can cause a dangerous irregular heartbeat, according to Cedars-Sinai. Heart attacks during sleep are common with the syndrome. Thank goodness Slavens occurred where and when it did.

On the night of the Iowa-Northwestern game, January 14, Slavens had heart surgery. Last night, he returned to the Iowa bench to see Iowa defeat Rutgers. However, his victory is greater than any win. The 20-year-old is getting a second chance at life.