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Mike

I don’t think I’ve ever shared this with anyone, i may have told Burgandy in private.

I had the privilege of getting to know “Iron Mike” when I was a young paramedic working in the Moon Township area. Back then, it was nothing to run into him and have a conversation at one of the local 7-Eleven stores—either the one on what was then Beers School Road near the old airport, or the one on Neville Island.


It’s been more than 25 years, and I’ve been out of emergency services for over a decade, so I feel comfortable sharing this story now.


I was part of the crew that transported Mike on the day he passed away.


We picked him up from the CCU at Sewickley Valley Hospital and transported him to the cardiac cath lab on the fifth floor at Allegheny General Hospital. It was a difficult transport. He was on an intra-aortic balloon pump, still had the cath sheath in his groin, and we had to keep his leg completely straight. On top of that, a nurse had to ride with us.


The back of an ambulance was tight enough to begin with.


And Mike wasn’t exactly a small man.


He filled up that old Ferno 93 Squadmate, with his feet hanging over the end.


When we finally got him into the cath lab at AGH, Mike wanted to help us move him. We had to explain that he couldn’t—we needed to keep that leg straight and stable.


As we got ready to move him, I looked at him and said, “Mike, the snap count is on me. Just pretend I’m Bradshaw.”


He laughed.


Then he shook my hand.


Mike passed away about two hours after we got him there.


Of all the calls and transports I had during my years in EMS, that is one I’ve never forgotten. I’m grateful that one of my last memories of Iron Mike is hearing him laugh—and having the privilege of shaking his hand.
 
Shane Falco said:
I don’t think I’ve ever shared this with anyone, i may have told Burgandy in private.

I had the privilege of getting to know “Iron Mike” when I was a young paramedic working in the Moon Township area. Back then, it was nothing to run into him and have a conversation at one of the local 7-Eleven stores—either the one on what was then Beers School Road near the old airport, or the one on Neville Island.


It’s been more than 25 years, and I’ve been out of emergency services for over a decade, so I feel comfortable sharing this story now.


I was part of the crew that transported Mike on the day he passed away.


We picked him up from the CCU at Sewickley Valley Hospital and transported him to the cardiac cath lab on the fifth floor at Allegheny General Hospital. It was a difficult transport. He was on an intra-aortic balloon pump, still had the cath sheath in his groin, and we had to keep his leg completely straight. On top of that, a nurse had to ride with us.


The back of an ambulance was tight enough to begin with.


And Mike wasn’t exactly a small man.


He filled up that old Ferno 93 Squadmate, with his feet hanging over the end.


When we finally got him into the cath lab at AGH, Mike wanted to help us move him. We had to explain that he couldn’t—we needed to keep that leg straight and stable.


As we got ready to move him, I looked at him and said, “Mike, the snap count is on me. Just pretend I’m Bradshaw.”


He laughed.


Then he shook my hand.


Mike passed away about two hours after we got him there.


Of all the calls and transports I had during my years in EMS, that is one I’ve never forgotten. I’m grateful that one of my last memories of Iron Mike is hearing him laugh—and having the privilege of shaking his hand.
Click to expand...
wow. have nothing to say. amazing story
 
So Im gonna try to be super careful how I say this cause I dont want to seem uncaring. Pro football, boxing, mma, NHL hockey all take a toll on your body to play. The idea in say boxing you can get punched in the face repeatedly and it was OK.....pretty ****** stupid. A guy in our city of 400 k got run over by an asphalt leveler this week. Pretty sure that was not a great way to go. Mike could have died in a Steel mill accident or it sounds like a number of other ways apparently including burning to death. At least a period of his life was pretty damn cool.
Sad ending. Cheers to Mike. Great ****** player!
 
Last edited:
Sorry all for posting such a depressing post.
I grew up in AZ. Was a tour guide in thr grand canyon.
I used to take peeps from the rim down to place called phantom ranch

I was long gone from the area when ray Mansfield died on hike in GC but looked up his story again tonight. That led me to Mikes deal.
I grew up with these guys as legends. So sad to hear how this legend ended.
 
BLITZ said:
Sorry all for posting such a depressing post.
I grew up in AZ. Was a tour guide in thr grand canyon.
I used to take peeps from the rim down to place called phantom ranch

I was long gone from the area when ray Mansfield died on hike in GC but looked up his story again tonight. That led me to Mikes deal.
I grew up with these guys as legends. So sad to hear how this legend ended.
Click to expand...
Not a depressing post at all.
 
Shane Falco said:
I don’t think I’ve ever shared this with anyone, i may have told Burgandy in private.

I had the privilege of getting to know “Iron Mike” when I was a young paramedic working in the Moon Township area. Back then, it was nothing to run into him and have a conversation at one of the local 7-Eleven stores—either the one on what was then Beers School Road near the old airport, or the one on Neville Island.


It’s been more than 25 years, and I’ve been out of emergency services for over a decade, so I feel comfortable sharing this story now.


I was part of the crew that transported Mike on the day he passed away.


We picked him up from the CCU at Sewickley Valley Hospital and transported him to the cardiac cath lab on the fifth floor at Allegheny General Hospital. It was a difficult transport. He was on an intra-aortic balloon pump, still had the cath sheath in his groin, and we had to keep his leg completely straight. On top of that, a nurse had to ride with us.


The back of an ambulance was tight enough to begin with.


And Mike wasn’t exactly a small man.


He filled up that old Ferno 93 Squadmate, with his feet hanging over the end.


When we finally got him into the cath lab at AGH, Mike wanted to help us move him. We had to explain that he couldn’t—we needed to keep that leg straight and stable.


As we got ready to move him, I looked at him and said, “Mike, the snap count is on me. Just pretend I’m Bradshaw.”


He laughed.


Then he shook my hand.


Mike passed away about two hours after we got him there.


Of all the calls and transports I had during my years in EMS, that is one I’ve never forgotten. I’m grateful that one of my last memories of Iron Mike is hearing him laugh—and having the privilege of shaking his hand.
Click to expand...




Thank you for sharing a very heart-felt story SIR !!!

Appreciate yaz and it’s these behind the scenes events that puts the human back into the players, THANK YOU.

It’s easy to forget the human side of players because many idolize / professionalize the individual, forgetting that they to have problems / concerns / plain cloths stuff just like the non-pro athlete.

Again, what an incredible life story Falco, thanks for sharing.





Salute the nation
 
Truly eye opening. So much in that video that I wasn’t aware of.
 
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