ESPN football analyst Shaka Hislop is “okay,” said ESPN commentator Adrian Healy on Sunday after Hislop collapsed on air before the friendly between AC Milan and Madrid in the Rose Bowl.
“He’s recovered,” Healy said during ESPN’s coverage of the game. “Casey[Keller, Healy’s co-commentator]I didn’t see the incident, but it was definitely an alarming event. We’re finally told he’s fine.”
Hislop’s ESPN colleague Dan Thomas tweeted earlier that Hislop was “conscious” and that doctors were examining him. As Thomas spoke live, Hislop fell forward and then to the ground. Thomas immediately calls for help and the broadcast cuts to commercials.
Thomas appeared without Hislop at halftime, provided an update on his co-organizer“Obviously my buddy Shaka isn’t here, but as things stand, it’s good news.”
“He’s conscious. He’s talking. I think he’s embarrassed about it all. He apologized many times,” Thomas said. “He’s not a man who likes to make noise. It’s obviously too early to make any diagnosis, but the important thing is that Shaka is conscious, and we’ve spoken to his family as well.
“As you can imagine, seeing the event live, there is nothing more terrifying among the family, but we have spoken with his wife and things seem to be fine.”
Hislop is a former professional goalkeeper whose career spanned 15 years and included stints at Newcastle United, West Ham, Reading and Portsmouth. He has also played for England and his native Trinidad and Tobago. In 2006, he was the starting goalkeeper when Trinidad and Tobago’s men’s national team qualified for their opening match of the FIFA World Cup. Hislop is also the first player from Trinidad and Tobago’s World Cup national team to be inducted into the country’s Sports Hall of Fame.
He retired from football in 2007 after spending a season in MLS with FC Dallas.
(Photo: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
