It was a simple statement, but a statement that summed up fully the core of a near tragedy.

“Had he waited, it could have been fatal,” Concordia College interim head coach Michael Fantroy said. “It’s good he knew his body and knew the signs, so we just thank God he is alive. Football takes a backseat to your health and your life.”

The comments came a few days after Hornet head coach Stanley Conner was literally sidelined by the effects of heart attack Saturday at halftime of his team’s game at Memorial Stadium.

Conner, who had suffered a heart attack while coaching at Benedict College in 2008, knew the systems, knew that he wasn’t feeling right and sought attention before he became a permanent victim of a heart attack.

It is hard for us to sometimes appreciate the stress and demands of those who roam the sidelines, the dugouts and the benches, coaching our favorite teams.

We often forget these men and women are not invincible, despite what persona they would hope we and their players believe.

Despite Stanley Conner’s appearance of a man in good shape, he is someone who’s cardiac health is an issue and is a person who obviously knows what the symptoms of a cardiac event are and when to seek help.

Conner’s near tragedy should be a reminder to us all that our health — just behind our faith — is the most important thing in our lives and something that should be taken seriously.

We are happy to learn that Conner’s absence from the Hornet sidelines will last a month or so, and not permanently.

While we all might not be fans of Concordia, we can all agree and all cheer for Conner as he recovers and prepares to return to the team he loves.