Nazareth Grad Chuck Dibilio Suffers Stroke

Chuck Dibilio, a 2011 grad who conquered the football field and mastered the art of hitting three-pointers on the basketball court, suffered a stroke Thursday and is in the intensive care unit at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, according to a report in The Morning Call.

The Princeton University freshman was reportedly participating in a study group when "his arm went numb" and "he started slurring his speech," former teammate Kris Kent told The Express-Times.

Over on www.goprincetontigers.com, a website devoted to Princeton athletics, Dibilio's dad -- Chuck Dibilio Sr. -- said a clot in the main artery of his son's brain was removed early Friday morning.

"He is currently recovering," Dibilio Sr. said. "They are trying to find out what caused it, so they can prevent it in the future. As far as a long-term prognosis, we are a long way from knowing, but we appreciate all of the support Chuck has received."

The younger Dibilio is 19.

A Twitter search for "Chuck Dibilio" unleashed a long list of well-wishes for the Princeton running back.

@Quinn_Epperly4 wrote, "Hey a big [shout out] to everyone to pray for my man Chuck Dibilio. Hes going through some tough medical times right now and could use some prayers!"

@RyanSabaPSU simply said, "Thoughts are with Chuck Dibilio. #staystrong"

"Thoughts and prayers go out to Chuck and the Dibilio family," @ricmicnic13 tweeted. "When something like that happens everything else just doesn't seem important."

The list of tweets with #StayStrongChuck continues to grow as the minutes go by.

Back in April 2011, for his athletic and academic accomplishments.

"Every so often, a young person comes into our midst that makes you say 'wow,’” Nazareth Mayor Fred Daugherty Jr. said at the time. “Not honoring him would be a travesty."

A quick round up of Dibilio’s athletic accomplishments:

Football:

• Named Ivy Rookie of the Year in November.

• He holds the record for career rushing yards at Nazareth Area High School with 4,366 and was named the Lehigh Valley Conference's Offensive MVP.

Basketball:

• He scored 1,375 points in basketball and was named VIA’s 2011 Basketball Scholar Athlete.