After two months off the air, KYTV sports anchor Joe Hickman returned to work yesterday and revealed he suffered a heart attack earlier this year.

“We didn’t make a big announcement at the time because I was told that I needed to get some rest and recovery for awhile, and keep things private,” Hickman said in his first appearance on the air yesterday. “I’d never been in the hospital before even before this.”

Hickman has been a sports anchor at the Springfield NBC-affiliate since 1984. He thanked viewers and colleagues for their support, calling special attention to sports director Ned Reynolds, who Hickman said worked “full-time, around the clock, 24 hours a day, seven days a week” in his absence.

“Now I can take my afternoon nap again,” Reynolds quipped.