:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66493120/usa_today_11930905.0.jpg)
The coronavirus outbreak is hitting home to thousands of Americans on Thursday as news spread across the country of school shutdowns, sport cancellations and even some of those we know being diagnosed with COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). The news hit especially home to Trojan faithful after former USC WR Michael Pittman Jr.’s father announced a close family member has been diagnosed and ‘needs a miracle’ to survive.
Michael Pittman Sr. announced, through Jenna Laine on Twitter that this family member contracted the virus and has been hospitalized since last week but the situation worsened today.
Former Bucs RB Michael Pittman is asking for prayers right now. With his blessing, I am posting that a family member of his contracted the coronavirus, has been in the hospital since last Thursday and is now in a coma and in critical condition. He said they need a miracle.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) March 12, 2020
Pittman Sr., who played his college football at Fresno State, had a lengthy NFL career that spanned 11 years and three teams including a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pittman Jr. most recently worked at out the NFL combine with some impressive results and is awaiting the next steps in his NFL journey but now certainly has bigger issues to tend to.
It is not known, at this time, who the family member is or what the relation is but Pittman Sr. was adamant about alerting the sports world to expand the knowledge about just how serious this virus is in this country.
According to Laine in a separate tweet, Pittman “wanted me to post this to increase awareness about the dangers of the coronavirus.”
All of Conquest Chronicles and SB Nation are sending positive vibes to the whole Pittman family and anyone else affected by coronavirus at this time.