Dan Reeves Overdoses On Zocor Following Vick Injury

ATLANTA-Atlanta Falcons Coach Dan Reeves was rushed to the hospital after an apparent overdose of the heart medication Zocor. The incident occurred just hours after Falcons starting QB Michael Vick went down with a leg injury. After hearing that Vick would be out at least 6 weeks with the injury Reeves reportedly became despondent and began having chest pains. He is listed in good condition and expected to fully recover. Nevertheless, the incident gave him quite a scare.

"When I found out that Mike was gonna be out six weeks, I started getting anxious," said Reeves, in a telephone interview from his hospital bed. "I took a Zocor to try and get my blood pressure down, but it didn't work. I just kept thinking of what the hell we were gonna do without Mike. Then I took another. And another. And another, until I started feeling dizzy. That's the last thing I remember. They tell me I just passed out cold."

According to doctors, Reeves' blood pressure went down so far, so fast that the lack of oxygen to his brain caused him to faint.

"He never should have taken so many Zocors," said Dr. Jake Stein, Reeves' physician. "Its very dangerous to take more than the amount prescribed by the doctor. But I guess you can't blame him. The Vick injury is a crushing blow to his team. I probably would've done the same thing."

According to Reeves, he began feeling chest pains "immediately" after Vick went down and was carried off the field. His condition worsened upon hearing the news that the star would miss an extended period of time.

"Hearing the 6 weeks or more thing really put him over the top," said assistant coach Wade Miller. "As soon as he heard that, he got all pale. I knew there was something wrong."

It wasn't until later that evening in Reeves' home that the overdose occurred. Reeves was discovered by his wife, who immediately called an ambulance.

Part of the reason why Reeves began taking Zocor was the amount of stress and anxiety he was experiencing from his profession. An intense, passionate competitor, doctors have told Reeves to try and relax more and not allow the game to effect him so deeply. Reeves had been doing well up until now.

"Oh, Dan was doing so good. Its just a shame to have this setback," said Miller. "The past few years he's made some great strides in changing his attitude and looking at the game from the proper perspective. I've never even heard of someone overdosing on heart medication. I didn't even know it was possible. It's a shame. We all feel pretty bad for him, but we also feel bad for the team. Without Vick, we are fucked with a capital F."

According to hospital sources, Reeves wasn't the only person affected by the Vick injury. It's had a ripple effect around Atlanta, with many people reporting to the hospital with health problems.

Says Dr. Stein: "As soon as word of the Vick injury spread, there was a spike in the number of heart episodes, anxiety attacks, fainting spells and nausea. But our medical facilities are some of the best in the world so we were able to handle the influx of patients. It's not altogether abnormal. In fact, anyone who hasn't fainted or at least gotten a little sick, I have 2 words for you: Doug Johnson."

As for Reeve, his problem may not be over yet. Doctors say that although he is expected to fully recover from the overdose, he may not be returning to the field anytime soon. His current condition is said to be a little too fragile to go back to the sidelines.

"We can't let him out of the hospital just yet," says Stein. "He's still a little shaken up. He's OK, but every time somebody mentions the injury his heart rate goes through the roof. And when one of the nurses mentioned Doug Johnson, his face got all red and his veins started bulging out of his forehead. It was pretty freaky. He looked like he was about to explode. So we're gonna hang on to him for a while until he comes to grips with the fact that his team's going to start the season 0 and 4."

For the time being, offensive coordinator Pete Mangurian will take the reins of head coach. Mangurian doesn't have any head coaching experience, but he's not concerned. He's confident he can get the job done and the team can survive Vick's absence.

"Oh, I'm not too concerned," says Mangurian. "Doug's a good quarterback and we have a lot of good players on this team. It's not a one-man team. That's a misconception. Besides, he's only out for 3 weeks, so it's no big deal. What's that? 6 weeks? Oh. Gee, my left arm just went numb. Is that bad? Someone call an ambulance please."