Bart Starr Undergoes Stem Cell Treatment to Help Recovery from 2014 Strokes

The family of Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr announced Wednesday that the Green Bay Packers legend was accepted into a clinical trial for stem cells as he attempts to recover from a pair of strokes he suffered last year.

A statement posted on the Packers' official site notes that Starr, 81, has returned home after receiving two treatments. The family thanked everybody for their support but weren't prepared to offer any further updates on his status quite yet.

"While we welcome everyone's interest and support of Bart's health, at this time, we'd like to allow him a chance to fully participate in the clinical trial and let the results, if any, to speak for themselves," the statement read. "At an appropriate time in the future, our family looks forward to sharing the details of Bart's participation in this most important clinical exploration of what role stem cells may play in the treatment of stroke."

Martin Hendricks of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported back in December that along with the strokes, Starr also suffered multiple seizures and a heart attack in the latter stages of 2014.

Now that he's on the road to recovery, his family stated they reviewed multiple avenues for trying to improve his qualify of life through therapy. They settled on stem cells after being accepted into the trial.

Although there's no consensus in the medical community about the overall effectiveness of stem cells used for treatment, he's not the only former sports superstar to try it. Longtime Detroit Red Wings forward Gordie Howe has shown notable improvement after the treatments.

Associated Press

Starr played college football at Alabama before getting drafted by the Packers in the 1956 draft. He spent 16 years with the team, winning five Super Bowls in the process, and later went on to become the organization's head coach.

Now he's fighting a new battle, and his family hope the stem cell treatment can help him get through the health woes. It's unclear when the next update on his status will be provided.