Former USC Star Reveals 'COVID Essentially Saved My Life'

Vikings Linebacker Cameron Smith gets honest about his health scare last August.

Former USC linebacker Cameron Smith shared a huge revelation with Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press after having open-heart surgery last August. 

Doctors discovered that Smith had a congenital heart defect while doing tests on the former USC star after he tested positive for COVID-19. Although testing positive for COVID-19 was not the most desirable news, Smith notes “Covid essentially saved my life.” 

The open-heart surgery kept Smith from participating in games or team activities all year long. However, the Minnesota Vikings kept Smith apart of their organization.

Cameron Smith, USC Linebacker

Almost one year post-op, Smith is ready to return stronger than ever. He told the Pioneer Press that after returning to the field for OTA's, he feels like he picked up where he left off.

“It was interesting because leading up to this, I was unsure what the feeling was going to be like,” Smith said. “I was excited to feel that again, but when it came down to running out there, it felt like I hadn’t missed a beat. It just felt like almost home again.”

Smith spent four seasons with the USC Trojans. He was drafted in the fifth-round of the 2019 NFL Draft and had eight tackles in five games during his rookie season.

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