Coach suffered heart attack

He could be back in the gridiron in a few short weeks

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

— You can’t keep a good coach down. He’ll be back.

Those are words to describe Gravette football coach Duke Mobley who was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack Monday morning.

Mobley, the Lions defensive coordinator, suffered the heart attack during the Lions first full practice session. The temperature had hovered in the upper 90s at the time of the attack.

The coach, who is idolized by the Lions squad, was taken to Ozarks Community Hospital in Gravette and later taken by helicopter to Mercy Medical Center Hospital in Rogers where a stent was installed in a blocked artery.

Norman Mitchell, Athletic Director at Gravette High School, emphasized how fortunate it is there is a hospital in Gravette. The Gravette ambulance rushed Mobley to the hospital for initial treatment that prevented further damage.

Gravette coach Bill Harrelson told reporters, “The amazing thing is the doctors said he could be back on the field in about two or three weeks.”

Mobley is expected to remain in intensive care for a few days and, if all goes well, a return to football in a few weeks is possible, “but just in a supervisory role (at first),” Coach Harrelson said.