Erb’s Palsy is a condition where the nerves to the arm are damaged during birth. People affected by it have trouble rotating or bending their upper arm. It often happens when the neck is pulled too hard during delivery.
There are degrees of the condition, depending on how damaged the nerves are. With hard work and luck, motion and strength can come back, as one NFL player has done. Channel WBZ has the story.
Patriots defensive end Adrian Clayborn was born with Erb’s palsy. Despite his condition, he’s managed to rack up over 30 sacks. Doctors didn’t think he should have played football in the first place, but thanks to his efforts he’s proved them wrong.
“I play the right side. That’s where I’ve been playing for most of my career. It doesn’t really affect me, besides in the weight room with doing some stuff,” Clayborn explained in a conference call with the New England media. “But on the field, it doesn’t really affect me. I’ve learned to compensate when I have to and I do what I’ve got to do to make the plays.”
During his football career with Iowa, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Atlanta Falcons, and now the New England Patriots, Clayborn has fought hard to prove that he can play football despite Erb’s Palsy. A knee injury and a bicep injury have been the worst things he’s faced.