Sheldon, Iowa — If college football is played this year, you might have a Sheldon native to thank, at least in part.
Dr. Michael Ackerman is a Cardiologist with Mayo in Rochester Minnesota. The 1984 Sheldon High School graduate also leads the Windland & Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Lab.
The Big Ten and Pac-12 have already cancelled their football seasons over fears of myocarditis that was diagnosed in some players after they contracted COVID-19. A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that 78 of the 100 participants had some cardiac abnormality after experiencing myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart.
Dr. Ackerman was consulted by athletic leaders from the Big-12 Conference in a telephone meeting recently, and explained to them that the study that caused the Big Ten and Pac-12 to cancel their seasons, was a German study conducted with middle-aged test subjects. Ackerman told the group that you simply cannot make the leap that the study’s findings are relevant to 18 to 24 year old athletes.
Baylor University’s Athletic Director says Dr. Ackerman’s opinion provided the Big-12 schools with a comfort level.
Not long after Dr. Ackerman talked to the group, Big-12 leaders decided to move forward with their fall football plans.
