Tom Kates

Tom Kates is a professional football player who was injured during a game.
==History==
Tom was playing football when he was hit and had to be rushed to the hospital. His knee was injured and he had a concussion. He also had a splenic laceration, which bled so much that he needed a transfusion.
Derek told him that his concussion wasn't any worse than the others he'd had, but said that his spleen was worse than they thought, so he'd need surgery, which would take him out of the game for the rest of the season. He'd be okay for the next season. When he heard that, he had a panic attack.
His surgery went well, but afterward, he confessed to Derek that he had been scared to play ever since his son was born. In order to give him a way out that wasn't entirely his choice, Derek asked Callie if she could replace his knee, which had been bad since college, but didn't prevent him from playing. He agreed to the knee replacement, so they operated.
==Relationships==
===Romantic===
He is married to Jessie Kates.
===Familial===
He and his wife have a son, who is the reason why he wanted to stop playing. He didn't want his son to grow up without a dad.
==Career==
He was two years into a career playing professional football for the Seattle Seahawks. When he said that he was scared to continue playing, the doctors gave him an out, which he took.
==Notes and Trivia==
*Kates is a previous patient of Shepherd's, albeit off-screen.
*Callie Torres is a fan of his.
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