Legendary Vikings athletic trainer Fred Zamberletti is ailing, but optimistic he soon will recover.
Zamberletti, 83, is the only individual who has been with the Vikings since their inception in 1961. Zamberletti, who served as trainer through 2000 before becoming a team historian and consultant, encountered health problems last month.
“I tried to get out of bed three weeks ago to go to the bathroom (at his Bloomington home) at 6 in the morning and I got to the edge of my bed and I was stuck there and I couldn’t move,’’ Zamberletti, who lives alone, said Thursday. “I did get on the floor. I laid on that floor for 12 hours, but I couldn’t move.
“I yelled and screamed, but it was raining and nobody could hear me. Finally, my neighbor saw the paper on my driveway and he came in and said, ‘Are you OK.’ I said, ‘Call 911.’’’
Zamberletti, who is in the team’s Ring of Honor, was in the hospital for four days and diagnosed with a bladder infection. He has been moved to Minnesota Masonic Home, a senior living center in Bloomington, and said he now has come down with a cold.
Still, Zamberletti is optimistic about returning home soon and fully regaining his health. He’s disappointed, though, he might have to miss a reunion this weekend of players, coaches and staff members who were on all four of Minnesota’s Super Bowl teams during the 1970s.
Zamberletti expects to miss functions Friday, where there is a dinner, and Saturday, when invitees attend a Vikings practice. He called himself a “game-day decision’’ for Sunday, when the holdovers from the Super Bowls will be introduced during Minnesota’s game against Kansas City at TCF Bank Stadium.
After 911 was called, Zamberletti said police arrived. He said officers wanted to take him to the hospital, but he initially balked.
“They said, ‘We’re going to have to take you to the hospital,’ and I said, ‘No, I’m not going,’’’ Zamberletti said. “Then they got me up and I wasn’t very steady, and they said, ‘We can’t leave you here. We got to take you to the hospital.’’’
Zamberletti said he was starting to feel better until he came down with the cold, which has delayed his recovery process. Bud Grant, the Vikings coach during 18 of Zamberletti’s 40 years as trainer, is relieved he was able to get to the hospital for treatment.
“I’m glad he finally got to the hospital and got help,’’ Grant said. “You get stubborn. You think you’re going to beat it, but age catches up to you.’’
Zamberletti attended Minnesota’s first 1,049 preseason, regular season and playoff games. The streak finally came to an end when he could not travel to a Dec. 24, 2011 game at Washington because of illness.
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Legendary Vikings athletic trainer Fred Zamberletti optimistic about recovery after health scare