Richard Obert

azcentral sports

Tyre Glasper had a major scare involving the premature birth of his son.

Coach Kevin Guy has been given a three-month window to have gallbladder surgery.

The team%27s 8-0 start is the best in Rattlers history.

This has been a season of personal adversity for the two-time defending ArenaBowl champions.

From quarterback Nick Davila's father being given an artificial heart and having complications from that, to coach Kevin Guy spending the bulk of Sunday in a Portland (Ore.) hospital, to the frantic premature birth of defensive lineman Tyre Glasper's son, the Rattlers have had more on their minds than winning football games.

It's been about survival.

Glasper, a big part of the team's past two ArenaBowl championships, had a major scare in October when his unborn son's heart slowed to a dangerous level and his wife, bleeding profusely, fainted.

His wife, Brianne, at work at the time, had to be rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. Her life was at risk. Her placenta was half-filled with blood clots, and the baby couldn't get the proper nutrients, Glasper said.

"She started bleeding out; she passed out," he said.

Brianne got through it, and their baby boy, Gavin, was born. Brianne spent four days in the hospital. Gavin, with tubes running in and out of his body, didn't come home until two months later — just before Christmas.

"It was the best Christmas," Glasper said.

Glasper spent Mother's Day helping the Rattlers rattle the Portland Thunder into four first-half turnovers in a 61-32 rout that improved Arizona's record to 8-0.

His motivation this season has been his family. He treats every day like it might be his last, counting his blessings and playing with his baby, who is now seven months old.

"Sometimes, you're thrown curveballs," Glasper said. "You can't take anything for granted. That was one of the scariest days of my life. And it was one of the happiest days, too. Because that day our son came into the world. She's fine and the baby's fine. That's all you can ask for."

The Rattlers' chemistry was good even before personal drama arose. It has always been a tight-knit group under Guy, who has been given a three-month window to have gallbladder surgery after Sunday's attack before the Thunder game. Guy received medication and got back just in time to coach the game.

The 8-0 start is the best in Rattlers history. They play at US Airways Center on Sunday against the Spokane Shock, the second of three regular-season meetings.

"We all get along together," said cornerback Marquis Floyd, who had one of his best games in his Arena Football career against Portland. "That's one of the great things about our team, the chemistry on our defense."