Albert Haynesworth 'Moving Closer' to Receiving Kidney He Needs After Public Support Increases

The football world was in shock late Wednesday evening when 38-year-old former defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth announced he was in dire need of a kidney transplant.

After his story went viral, Vanderbilt University Medical Center received "hundreds of calls and offers" for a potential organ donation, bringing us closer to a resolution.

While Haynesworth is remembered mostly for playing only 20 games in two seasons despite his nine-figure contract with the Washington Redskins, Haynesworth was the best defensive tackle in the game for a period of time, recording 14.5 sacks, two Pro Bowl nods, and two First Team All-Pro nods while a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Of the 123,000 people in the US currently waiting for an organ transplant, 101,000 of them are in need of a new kidney. While finding a kidney match is always a difficult process, it's encouraging to see there are no shortage of people out there who want to personally help Haynesworth get back on his feet.

While waiting on the kidney transplant list can be an unnerving a situation as possible, the public response to Haynesworth's plight has been encouraging to see. Let's focus the same energy on the plight of others on the list, too, while we're at it.