METAIRIE, La. — Hall of Fame pass rusher Rickey Jackson underwent successful surgery to alleviate pressure on his brain Wednesday morning, according to his daughter Rickeyah.
“He is resting comfortably, very alert and talking like himself with nurses, doctors and all around him,” Rickeyah told Crescent City Sports’ Ken Trahan, who is the director of the New Orleans Saints‘ Hall of Fame. “I want to stress that he is doing fine and that any reports otherwise simply are not accurate.”
The Saints wished a “speedy recovery” to Jackson via Twitter.
On behalf of Gayle Benson and the entire Saints organization, our thoughts and prayers are with Rickey Jackson for a speedy recovery from his medical procedure today
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 28, 2018
The 60-year-old Jackson spent 13 seasons with the Saints and two with the San Francisco 49ers, with whom he won a Super Bowl late in his career. The most prominent member of New Orleans’ famed “Dome Patrol,” Jackson ranks 16th in NFL history with 128 sacks.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
According to his daughter, Jackson hit his head during a recent fall, suffering a subdural hematoma. The surgery helped to drain blood and relieve the pressure on his brain.
“One thing led to another from the fall,” Rickeyah said. “He is not walking around yet, but he is doing well. We are told that in a few days, we should have him back home. They had to drain it and relieve the pressure. The doctors said it was a routine procedure to lighten it. Despite what others may say or think, it has nothing to do with football or nothing to do with his cancer.”
Jackson underwent surgery for prostate cancer in 2015. He has been cancer-free since.