Linebacker’s heart, attitude earn him ‘Go For Broke’ Award

By Jared Harmon

Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008 | 6:47 p.m.

Coronado's Tanner VanOverbeke almost — quite literally — left his heart on the football field this year.

The senior linebacker ignored chest pains in the fourth quarter of the Cougars' game on Oct. 3 against Silverado only to collapse on the sideline as the game ended.

VanOverbeke was rushed to the hospital, where his heart rate was clocked at roughly 220 beats per minute, putting him on the verge of cardiac arrest, he said.

Days later he had surgery to repair the damage to his heart and was back on the field for the game against Liberty on Oct. 17.

"The doctor told me I was extremely lucky that I didn't have a heart attack; I could have died," VanOverbeke said. "I feared for my life, but I still didn't want to come out of the game. I didn't want to let my teammates down by giving up."

Coronado coach John Mannion said VanOverbeke's commitment went above and beyond what he expects and was why he recommended VanOverbeke for the Mike O'Callaghan "Go For Broke" Award

The award was presented during the team's banquet on Nov. 20. The Home News has given the "Go For Broke" to one athlete from each football program in its coverage area since the early 1980s.

The award, created by former Home News publisher Gov. Mike O'Callaghan, honors Japanese-Americans who fought in World War II even though their families were locked up in internment camps following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

O'Callaghan, who died in 2004, admired the soldiers of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team for their heroic accomplishments in battle. He named the award for their motto "Go For Broke".

"Tanner is probably a little undersized for a linebacker (5-foot-9, 200 pounds), but he gave it his all every week," Mannion said. "He's smart and tenacious and as dedicated as they come. The only time he's come off the field is when he physically couldn't do it anymore."

VanOverbeke was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia, or a rapid rhythm of the heart, which eventually caused his heart to stop pumping and just shiver while blood pooled in the chambers.

"When I saw Tanner hit the ground, I was very scared. I didn't know what was happening," his father, Tom VanOverbeke, said. "He had his heart tested before when we suspected there might be a problem, but the doctors didn't find anything and he was cleared to play."

Fellow Cougar linebacker Tyler Tebbs, who has played football with Tanner VanOverbeke since they were both 9 years old, rushed to the hospital to visit his teammate that night.

"Tanner's like a brother to me," Tebbs said. "When he went down and we saw it was serious, I thought I was going to have a heart attack — it was that much of a shock. I told him not to rush back — football's important, but it's not worth your life. But, I knew nothing was going stop him. He was going to get cleared to play or find a way around it."

To repair the damage, surgeons went in through the groin to burn away damaged cells near the pulmonary veins. After roughly a week of rest, he was once again cleared to play.

"I guess I was fearful about coming back, but my love for the game put all that aside," Tanner VanOverbeke said. "I just wanted to get back out there with my teammates. Football means a lot to me and I wasn't going to let this keep me out."

Jared Harmon can be reached at 990-8922 or [email protected].