(NEXSTAR) — Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy revealed that he spent the 2020 NFL season living in a hotel, all to protect his son from COVID-19.
Bieniemy, 51, told Sports Illustrated he made the sacrifice privately, doing everything he could to keep his 26-year-old son Eric Bieniemy III, who has cerebral palsy and respiratory issues, safe from the virus.
Bieniemy said he started living in the hotel July 23 and stayed there through the Super Bowl. He said he would come home on Fridays, but would wear two masks, maintain a safe distance and spend the night in the basement.
“It’s been a challenge,” Bieniemy said of his time away from wife Mia and their two sons.
He hadn’t previously spoken about the lengths he went to keep from inadvertently passing the coronavirus to his family before sitting down with SI’s Jenny Vrentas.
Bieniemy, a former NFL running back, played for the San Diego Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles between 1991 and 1999.