Auburn football: Groves' heart still healthy

Diagnosed with heart disorder

BY CHRISTA TURNER - turnerc@ledger-enquirer.com --

When Quentin Groves learned there was something wrong with him, he wasted no time fixing it.

While undergoing a battery of medical tests at the NFL Combine, the former Auburn University standout discovered he had Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. WPW Syndrome results in a rapid heartbeat because of electrical impulses in the heart taking extra pathways and can often, but not always, be treated with medication.

"It's an extra circuit in the heart, and it speeds up your heartbeat," Groves said. "It's nothing too critical, but you have to take care of it."

Groves elected to have a surgical procedure called ablation. During that procedure, according to Clevelandclinic.org, high-frequency electrical energy is delivered through a catheter to "disconnect" the abnormal pathways.

Groves said he wasn't worried about the procedure, calling it "minor." He said catheters were inserted in his neck and groin through small tubes to perform the procedure.

Following the surgery, Groves -- who is predicted by many analysts to be a first-day selection, and possible first-rounder, in Saturday's NFL draft -- sent letters to all 32 NFL teams ensuring them he had full medical clearance.

"Some teams had questions (before), so that's when my agent said to get it fixed," Groves said. "The letter said that the doctors said I was 100 percent healed, and I'm good."

Groves, who has had meetings with and private workouts for a number of teams in the last two weeks, called the feedback from teams, "positive."

"It went well," Groves said. "They said great job on getting it done. I didn't know about it until the Combine."

The 6-foot-3, 257-pound Groves elected to come back for his senior season at Auburn in 2007, but didn't have the kind of season he anticipated. After opening his season with two quick sacks against Kansas State, Groves managed just one more the rest of the season as he battled injuries. Dislocated toes cost him a couple of starts and hampered his speed. He finished with three sacks to tie Gerald Robinson as Auburn's all-time sacks leader with 26. He had 38 tackles.

Since the surgery, Groves has visited Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Miami, Cleveland, New York Jets, New York Giants, New England and San Francisco and was in San Diego on Saturday.

Groves said he's just ready for the draft to be over and didn't get any particular feeling from any team.

"I like all the teams," Groves said. "Right now, it's all under wraps. You never know."

It won't be long before he does know.