Former Raider, 49er Millen may need heart transplant

Another day, another discouraging word about an NFL standout struggling in the football afterlife.

Matt Millen, who won Super Bowls with the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, the 49ers and the Washington Redskins has a rare disease that could necessitate a heart transplant, he told the Morning Call of Pennsylvania.

Millen, 60, suffered from chest pain and shortness of breath for years before being diagnosed last summer with amyloidosis, a rare disease which can be managed, but not cured. The disease can affect multiple internal organs. It is treated with chemotherapy. Fewer than 200,000 cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Doctors told Millen his heart is working at approximately 30 percent capacity, the Morning Call reported. Next week Millen and his wife Pat will travel to Cedars-sinai Hospital in Los Angeles for transplant evaluation.

There’s no indication that Millen’s condition is related to his football career. But with all we know now and what we continue to learn, it’s only natural to wonder. Former 49ers receiver Dwight Clark has been afflicted by ALS, and is convinced it had something to do with football.

Millen, rugged and glib, played linebacker for Penn State before being chosen by the Raiders in the second round of the 1980 draft. The Raiders won the Super Bowl in his rookie season. He spent nine years with the Raiders, winning a second Super Bowl after the 1983 season.

Cut just before the 1989 season, Millen signed with the 49ers and earned a third Super Bowl ring. He played 1990 with San Francisco, and finished his career with Washington in 1991 with, yes, another Super Bowl victory.

As decorated as he was as a player, his seven-plus years as president of the Detroit Lions charitably could be called disastrous. He moved on to broadcasting – he currently works for the Big Ten Network – which is a much better fit for his skills set.

When he’s not working, Millen putters around his five-acre home in Bucks County, according to the Morning Call. He still pushes his lawnmower and does woodworking. He is in contact with friends, including former Raiders coach John Madden.