Ex-NFL Star Merril Hoge Recalls Near-Death Experience Amid Jalen Hurts Controversy

Merril Hoge says a doctor's bad call didn't just end his NFL career ... it nearly ended his life ... and he can't help but think about his own NFL health scare when looking at the Jalen Hurts controversy.

The former Steelers running back and ESPN personality joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday to weigh in on the controversy surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles and their star QB, who was ruled out for the season due to blood clots.

Merril, who retired from the NFL in 1994, says he got some terrible medical advice when he was playing ... revealed just how badly things went wrong when he suffered a concussion on Monday Night Football with the Chicago Bears.

He says a team doctor cleared him to play just five days after the injury ... without ever examining him in person. Instead, he claims the doctor asked him one question over the phone: "How do you feel?"

What happened next was terrifying ... Merril says he went into cardiac arrest, spent days in intensive care and had to learn how to read again ... all before his 31st birthday.

"I saw my life over at age 30 ... it wrecked my life," he told Harvey and Charles.

As TMZ previously reported, Hurts is out for the season after doctors discovered blood clots in his lungs ... but the controversy centers on why the Eagles cleared him to play in London and fly home after an earlier diagnosis of a superficial clot in his calf.

Merril isn't accusing the team of intentionally putting Hurts in danger ... but he wants answers about the medical decisions ... namely, from team doctors who haven't publicly explained their reasoning.

What's more, Merril has some ideas about how the NFL can prevent another medical nightmare.