Whether leading his team on the gridiron or offering pro football commentary on ESPN, Joe Theismann’s play-calling has always commanded respect. Today, the legendary “number 7″ is lending his voice and support to educating men about enlarged prostate (EP), a condition that affects more than 50 percent of American men over 50 years of age and 80 percent of men over age 80, according to the American Urological Association.

“Over the last three years, I found myself getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom,” Theismann told the Post. “After a while, I began to accept that going to the bathroom so frequently was simply part of aging after hitting 50.”

The nightly ritual, however, exacted a physical toll on the busy businessman and sportscaster, who suspected after investigation that his symptoms were similar to those of EP.

“During a routine physical, I asked my doctor about the signs indicating an enlarged prostate,” recalls Theismann. “He explained the symptoms, which basically matched what I was experiencing. During my checkup, he found that I did indeed have an enlarged prostate.”

Theismann’s physician suggested medication, and over time, the symptoms eased.

“Now, I sleep well throughout the night,” Theismann reports. “I don’t go to the bathroom as often as I did before. I used to go to the bathroom at 2:30 and 4:30 before finally getting up for good at 6:00 a.m. My sleep was interrupted. Now, I feel refreshed throughout the day. And when I plan a trip, I don’t have to figure out rest stops. I resumed my normal life.”

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland of the male reproductive system that is located beneath the bladder and in front of the rectum. The urethra, which transports urine and sperm out of the body, passes through the prostate to the bladder neck. Surrounded by a capsule of fibrous tissue that is called the prostate capsule, the gland can begin to enlarge in two ways–cells multiply around the urethra, squeezing it; or cells grow into the urethra and bladder outlet area, a condition that typical] requires surgery. As cells proliferate, the prostate gets bigger, pressing on the urethra and causing the flow of urine to become slower and less forceful.