Neiron Ball, who ascended to a starting position as a Raiders rookie linebacker after surviving a rare blood vessel disorder, has been in a medically induced coma since Sept. 16 after an aneurysm burst in his brain.
Ball, 26, was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM) after experiencing headaches following a 2011 practice at the University of Florida. The condition can vary in terms of severity, and after surgery Ball recovered to the point where he resumed his career at Florida and was eventually drafted in the fifth round by the Raiders in 2015.
According to the Aneurysm and AVM Foundation, which spoke to Ball’s family Tuesday, “We believed Neiron’s AVM was obliterated, that doesn’t seem to be the case as he developed an aneurysm which burst.