Legendary Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar announced on social media on Monday, Nov. 17, that he underwent successful liver transplant surgery.
“I’m out and I’m feeling good,” Kosar said in a post on social media. “Ready to enjoy the rest of the week and the rest of our lives.”
Kosar, 61, had been hospitalized with internal bleeding as he awaited a transplant.
He was due to get a transplant last week, but the donor organ was found to be infected. Since then, he has undergone seven procedures to stop internal bleeding.
According to former Cleveland.com online producer Hayden Grove, the liver being transplanted belongs to a man named Bryce Dunlap.
Why does Bernie Kosar need a liver transplant?
Last year, Kosar announced in Cleveland Magazine that he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s disease.
The former Browns quarterback, who led the team to AFC championship games in 1986, 1987 and 1989, has received an outpouring of fan support as he undergoes treatments.
Even Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine shared some encouragement for Kosar.
“Well Bernie we love you, and we just pray for you and hope you get better,” DeWine said. “You’ve given back so much to the Cleveland area and to Youngstown and really the whole world, and you’re someone who’s very, very special.”
Before Sunday’s Browns game, the team aired a tribute to Kosar at Huntington Bank Field.
The Browns took Kosar in the 1985 supplemental draft when the Youngstown native circumvented NFL rules so he could play for his local team. He played nine seasons for the Browns before finishing his career with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins.
