PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson, who collapsed and suffered a seizure at practice earlier this month, will play Thursday night against Cleveland.
"I'll just be excited to be back out there with the guys, fans cheering and stuff like that," Patterson said. "So, emotionally, emotionally, I'll be really excited."
Patterson was diagnosed with a brain AVM, or arteriovenous malformation, a prenatal condition in which blood travels abnormally between the arteries and veins.
Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder said last week that Patterson was cleared by four physicians specializing in brain AVMs to return to football. His condition will eventually have to be treated. But the method hasn't been determined.
The former first-round pick out of USC said the condition will not be on his mind when he plays and that he'll block it out and concentrate on football.
"My body feels good and I really feel fine physically and mentally so I'm ready to go," Patterson said. "I've been talking to doctors, they tell me I can go out there and play. If I couldn't do it 100 percent I wouldn't do it at all."
"That's the good thing about football," he said, "it's easy to zone everything out and just go out there and play."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.
