HOUSTON, TX – DECEMBER 16: General interior view of the halftime show during an NFL game between the Cleveland Browns and Houston Oilers on December 16, 1984 at the AstroDome in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Trevor Jones/Getty Images)
Former Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons linebacker Robert Lyles is in need of a life-saving heart transplant.
Lyles, 61, has been in critical condition at Baylor St. Luke’s Hospital since July 12, 2022, according to a GoFundMe. Randy Carodine, who organized the fundraiser, is seeking $100,000 worth of donations for Lyles.
“The medical staff and other employees have given Robert the most extraordinary care available. However, his medical insurance has expired and did not cover a fraction of the costs,” Carodine wrote. “A heart transplant, as you can imagine, is an astronomical cost. Robert has been through several life-saving procedures thus far. The current life sustaining measures are only temporary. Robert needs a new heart immediately.”
Lyles, who played college football at TCU, was a fifth-round pick of the Oilers in 1984. He played in Houston until early in the 1990 season when he moved on to the Falcons.
Lyles finished his NFL career in 1991 with 623 tackles, 10 sacks, 10 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries in 109 games. He then went on to play in the Arena Football League (AFL) before a long coaching career in the AFL, CFL, XFL and college football.
Hopefully, Lyles is able to get the medical care he needs.
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