Best wishes TE Kevin Everett (Bills)

[Rastak]

He was carried off on a board and word is he has a spinal cord injury and is undergoing emergency surgery as I post this per Fox.


Not good. I hope he's ok.

[GBRulz]

I hate seeing things like that. I'd even feel bad if something like that happened to McNabb

[Lurker64]

I hate it when things like this happen, best wishes to him and his family. I hope he has a speedy recovery.

[MJZiggy]

You never wanna see this happen to any player. May he heal fully and be back on the field asap.

[packinpatland]

I love football, but I sure hate this part................prayers for him and his family.

[Him8123]

that sucks, just heard about it on tv, I know I talk crap about other teams, but I seriously hope he`s ok.

[BallHawk]

Thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

[KYPack]

He's going in for emergency spinal surgery.

That ain't good.

Light a candle and give a prayer for the guy.

He needs the help.

[hurleyfan]

He's going in for emergency spinal surgery.

That ain't good.

Light a candle and give a prayer for the guy.

He needs the help.

"Ditto"

[falco]

This is a fairly rare occurence, isn't it? The last player I remember in this situation was the guy from the Seahawks (Byrd?), and that had to be close to twenty years ago. Has there been anything else similar recently?

[falco]

This is a fairly rare occurence, isn't it? The last player I remember in this situation was the guy from the Seahawks (Byrd?), and that had to be close to twenty years ago. Has there been anything else similar recently?

Just looked it up. He played for the jets, but it happened against the Seahawks. It was in 92. He made a full recovery but never played again.

[VegasPackFan]

Mike Utley from the Lions was a more recent incident I think.

[BallHawk]

Everett is undergoing surgery for two fractures in his neck.

[Rastak]

Everett is undergoing surgery for two fractures in his neck.


Boy, that sucks. Damn.......

[Willard]

Everett is undergoing surgery for two fractures in his neck.


Boy, that sucks. Damn.......

Hopefully the spinal cord is not injured. This kind of injury is sobering to say the least.

[Rastak]

Everett is undergoing surgery for two fractures in his neck.


Boy, that sucks. Damn.......

Hopefully the spinal cord is not injured. This kind of injury is sobering to say the least.

It sure is, but even then as a fan you say....he was a backup TE so lets move on, but this poor SOB might be screwed for life. I hope he's fine.

[Rastak]

Shit, he's in intensive care.....I hate this stuff.......

[BallHawk]

Mort reported that surgery was more "to clear out bone chips then anything else."

The doctors aren't saying anything firmly, but the are gradually optimistic that he'll walk away with the ability to walk and move around. Whether he'll be able to play football, I don't know.

[Jimx29]

damn.......... :(

[MJZiggy]

I would expect him to be in intensive care after that sort of surgery. It's a good thing right now as he'll have someone watching him constantly. Hopefully in the next day or so he makes some good progress. I'm hoping that he'll recover quickly as athletes often do.

[esoxx]

This is why I don't begrudge football players for making every last cent they can in the game. They have typically short careers and are at risk for permanent and life threatening injuries in any game.

A lot of times we as fans overlook this and only see players for being greedy, selfish, etc...

I know right now that HOF center Jim Otto is close to death. My dad is good friends with him and he recently needed his leg amputated due to infections from some of the various hardware he has in his body due to football injuries. He almost didn't make it through the procedure and there is still a question as to whether he pulls through.

My prayers go out to Kevin Everett and his family.

[Him8123]

espn just reported that he is likely to be paralyzed. that really sucks

[BallHawk]

Per ESPN

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills' Kevin Everett sustained a "catastrophic" and life-threatening spinal-cord injury and his chances of regaining a full range of body motion are very small, an orthopedic surgeon said Monday.

"A best-case scenario is full recovery, but not likely," Dr. Andrew Cappuccino said, one day after performing a four-hour operation on the player. "I believe there will be some permanent neurological paralysis. ... A full neurological recovery was bleak, dismal."

Cappuccino noted the 25-year-old reserve tight end did have touch sensation throughout his body and also showed signs of movement. But he cautioned that Everett's injury remained life-threatening, saying the player is still susceptible to blood clots, infection and breathing failure.

[BallHawk]

My heart goes out to Kevin. We can only hope he regains enough movement so that he can function and perform daily tasks.

[PackerTimer]

My prayers are with him and his family. 25 years old. I agree, hopefully he can regain some movement and get back some part of what he has lost.

[Him8123]

makes ya appreciate having functioning legs and arms, I can only pray for him and his family that he can walk again. Miracles can happen. It has happened before.

[MJZiggy]

I'm so glad I didn't see that hit.

[MadScientist]

I am at least a little hopeful since they reported there is some movement and touch throughout his body.

The NFL better take good care of him and his family for the rest of his life.

[Rastak]

His surgeon held a press conference and indicated they are keeping him sedated for 24-48 hours and his injuries are life threatening. He called prospects of a full recovery bleak.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I feel bad for the guy.

[BallHawk]

I'm so glad I didn't see that hit.

The strange thing is that I've seen plenty of guys take the exact same hit, get up, and then keep on playing.

It's just a freak and unfortunate event. When you're playing football you are always inches, centimeters, or even millimeters away from really damaging your body.

[Rastak]

I'm so glad I didn't see that hit.

The strange thing is that I've seen plenty of guys take the exact same hit, get up, and then keep on playing.

It's just a freak and unfortunate event. When you're playing football you are always inches, centimeters, or even millimeters away from really damaging your body.

Which is why T Murphy was smart to quit when he did. It isn't worth the risk.

[the_idle_threat]

This is why I don't begrudge football players for making every last cent they can in the game. They have typically short careers and are at risk for permanent and life threatening injuries in any game.

A lot of times we as fans overlook this and only see players for being greedy, selfish, etc...

I know right now that HOF center Jim Otto is close to death. My dad is good friends with him and he recently needed his leg amputated due to infections from some of the various hardware he has in his body due to football injuries. He almost didn't make it through the procedure and there is still a question as to whether he pulls through.


I certainly wish Everett the best and everything, and I understand the human drama of some guy being hurt while providing our entertainment, but I don't buy the above point at all.

Sure, there is risk of injury in the game of football, but:

1) Playing in the NFL is voluntary. If a guy doesn't want to subject himself to this kind of possible abuse, he can choose another job.

2) The big catastrophic injuries such as this one are few and far between. We're talking about a handful over the course of 20 years.

3) It's not like people don't get hurt on the job doing other far more important jobs that are lower in profile. Police officers, firefighters and soldiers are three glaring examples of jobs where there is risk of serious injury---and a far greater risk of death---and we don't encourage them to "get all the money they can." In fact, as taxpayers, we expect them to collect a fair but manageable wage that compensates them (perhaps not sufficiently) for extra risk, but does not break the bank, so to speak.

Football players get paid millions of dollars to provide entertainment. If a player says he's insulted by an annual salary in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or feels he is underpaid when he's already banked a multi-million dollar signing bonus, I'm sorry, but I'm never going to feel his pain. He's been compensated very well (and perhaps way overcompensated, looking at the grand scheme of things) for the risk of his profession.

[Rastak]

You think a backup tight end has made millions?

[falco]

Imagine this happening to one of the superstars of the NFL. It'd be much similar to the death of Dale Earnhardt.

[falco]

Idle, I think football, like any other job, is a market driven sport and the players earn what they deserve.

However, I'll agree with you to this extent - there are many other dangerous professions, many much more dangerous, that receive much less pay. What the players earn has less to do with the danger they endure, and more to do with their unique skill set.

[the_idle_threat]

You think a backup tight end has made millions?

Rastak, you couldn't have missed the point more entirely even if you were trying.

No---a backup TE has probably not made millions (unless he signs with the Vikings. :P :twisted: :P )

But I was referring to esoxx's post about players "making every last cent they can in the game". That phrase suggests the players who have bargaining power and hold out for extra millions---not a backup TE who is very replaceable and therefore has zero bargaining power to hold out for every cent he can get.

But just the same, even a backup TE's salary is far more than most people make in a year. Do you think backup tight ends in general are unfairly compensated for the risk of playing football?

[BallHawk]

Imagine this happening to one of the superstars of the NFL. It'd be much similar to the death of Dale Earnhardt.

Quite frankly, in a weeks time it will be dropped from the public eye completely. It's sad, but it's true.

[b bulldog]

Seriously, if you were in this position, would you want to live?? I would want to pass and live my eternal life.

[BallHawk]

Seriously, if you were in this position, would you want to live?? I would want to pass and live my eternal life.

If I had exhausted every mean possible and the doctors told me that I was stuck this way for the rest of my life, then I wouldn't want to live my life out of a wheelchair, having my life being controlled by other people.

If the doctors told me that I could possibly gain some control of my body, you bet I'd work my ass off to get back. But then again, who wouldn't?

[b bulldog]

Good post

[HarveyWallbangers]

I don't know. If you got paralyzed, I suspect you'd have a different perspective. I haven't read an update, are there problems outside of the paralysis? There's plenty of things to enjoy in life... even from a wheelchair. Better than being dead.

[the_idle_threat]

I don't know. If you got paralyzed, I suspect you'd have a different perspective. I haven't read an update, are there problems outside of the paralysis? There's plenty of things to enjoy in life... even from a wheelchair. Better than being dead.

Agreed.

[b bulldog]

I guess I don't think being dead will be that bad but if I only lost control of my body below the waist, I could deal with that but if was a quad, send me tio heaven.

[Rastak]

I guess I don't think being dead will be that bad but if I only lost control of my body below the waist, I could deal with that but if was a quad, send me tio heaven.


Yea, I can't say for sure how I'd react but I'm pretty sure I'm with you on this one. The first still leaves you some life but the second....I'm not sure I'd find anything to enjoy.

[MadScientist]

I guess I don't think being dead will be that bad but if I only lost control of my body below the waist, I could deal with that but if was a quad, send me tio heaven.


Yea, I can't say for sure how I'd react but I'm pretty sure I'm with you on this one. The first still leaves you some life but the second....I'm not sure I'd find anything to enjoy.

Of course that assumes you are going to heaven, which is hardly a guarantee :twisted:

Seriously, though I can see this sort of injury being much harder on an elite athlete then someone like Stephen Hawkins or Christopher Reeves. Still, all hope is not lost yet, and there are other possibilities still on the horizon. There has been a lot of progress on thought controlled artificial limbs recently.

Also there has been some encouraging results with using stem cells to restore movement in paralysis cases (animal research). Pity there is a political agenda that is slowing down the research that might help him, the guy Pacman's group shot in Vegas, and many others walk again.

[woodbuck27]

The news today on K. Everett is at least more encouraging than yesterday but his MD is still stressing cautious optimism.

[Willard]

Much better news today about Everett:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3014742

Report: Doctor says Everett has voluntary movement of arms, legsESPN.com news services

Updated: September 11, 2007, 6:23 PM ET

The doctor who performed the spinal surgery on Everett told Buffalo TV station WIVB on Tuesday that Everett has voluntary movement of his arms and legs and as a result he is optimistic that Everett will walk again.

Dr. Andrew Cappuccino told WIVB that Everett's sedation levels were lowered on Tuesday, allowing him to respond to verbal commands. WIVB also reported that Everett's latest MRI shows only a small amount of swelling on his spinal cord.

On Monday, Cappuccino said that Everett sustained a "catastrophic" and life-threatening spinal-cord injury and was unlikely to walk again.

"A best-case scenario is full recovery, but not likely," Cappuccino said Monday. "I believe there will be some permanent neurologic deficit."

Everett was hurt Sunday after he ducked his head while tackling the Denver Broncos' Domenik Hixon during the second-half kickoff. Everett dropped face-first to the ground after his helmet hit Hixon high on the left shoulder and side of the helmet.

On Monday, Cappuccino noted the 25-year-old reserve tight end did have touch sensation throughout his body and also showed signs of movement. But he cautioned that Everett's injury was life-threatening because he was still susceptible to blood clots, infection and breathing failure.


A trainer attends to Kevin Everett after he showed no signs of consciousness following a helmet-to-helmet hit on Denver's Domenik Hixon at the start of the second half.

Everett is in the intensive care unit of Buffalo's Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital, where he is under sedation and breathing through a respirator as doctors wait for the swelling to lessen.

Cappuccino repaired a break between the third and fourth vertebrae and also alleviated the pressure on the spinal cord. In reconstructing his spine, doctors made a bone graft and inserted a plate, held in by four screws, and also inserted two small rods, held in place by another four screws.

Doctors, however, weren't able to repair all the damage.

Bills punter Brian Moorman immediately feared the worst when Everett showed no signs of movement as he was placed on a backboard and, with his head and body immobilized, carefully loaded into an ambulance.

"It brought tears to my eyes," Moorman said after practice. He said the sight of Everett's motionless body brought back memories of Mike Utley, the former Detroit Lions guard, who was paralyzed below the chest after injuring his neck in a collision during a 1991 game.


Utley, Moorman recalled, at least was able to give what's become a famous "thumbs up" sign as he was taken off the field. Everett didn't.

"That's what I was waiting for, and that's what everybody else was waiting for," Moorman said. "And to have to walk back to the sideline and not see that made for a tough time."

Utley, who lives in Washington state, was saddened to see replays of Everett's collision.

"I'm sorry this young man got hurt," Utley said. "It wasn't a cheap shot. It was a great form tackle and that's it."

Cappuccino received permission to operate from Everett's mother, Patricia Dugas, who spoke by phone from her home in Houston. She and other family members arrived in Buffalo on Monday. Everett was born in Port Arthur, Texas, and played high school football there.

Buffalo's 2005 third-round draft pick out of Miami, Everett missed his rookie season because of a knee injury. He spent most of last year playing special teams. He was hoping to make an impact as a receiver.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[BallHawk]

It's still early at this point, but things look to be less bleak than they were 48 hours ago.

[b bulldog]

great news but don't all Packers fans go to heaven??

[BallHawk]

great news but don't all Packers fans go to heaven??

Yup, even ones that claim to be a fan of another team but deep down love the Packers.

Don't know who that would be, though. :wink:

[Badgerinmaine]

Glad to see the news is much more encouraging.

[Cheesehead Craig]

great news but don't all Packers fans go to heaven??
Does it matter if you like the GM?

[Badgerinmaine]

great news but don't all Packers fans go to heaven??
Does it matter if you like the GM?
The one down here or the one up there? :D

[Him8123]

they just reported today and I`m sure everyone here probably already knows but he has shown some movement in the arms and legs. Dr.`s say there`s a good chance he could walk again. Great news

[the_idle_threat]

Things continue to look better for Kevin Everett. It's still a long road, but he's making progress.


Source: Bills tight end Everett slightly moved 3 fingers on right hand

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
September 14, 2007


BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Kevin Everett has slightly moved three fingers on his right hand, potentially another positive sign in his recovery from a life-threatening spinal-cord injury, a person close to the family told The Associated Press on Friday.

The Buffalo tight end voluntarily moved his fingers Thursday night "more than a little bit but not with great force," said the person who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of Everett's status. "There was slight movement."

Dr. Barth Green of the Miami Project also told The Miami Herald on Friday that Everett showed movement in his fingers early Friday morning. Green said he spoke on the phone with Bills orthopedic surgeon Andrew Cappuccino, who updated him.

On Wednesday, doctors said Everett could wiggle his toes, bend his hip, move his ankles, elevate and kick his leg, as well as extend his elbows and slightly flex his biceps. But he had not been able to move his hands.

Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold didn't immediately return messages left by the AP. Officials at Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital have deferred all updates to the Bills.

Everett was hurt Sunday after ducking his head while tackling Denver's Domenik Hixon during the second-half kickoff in the season opener. The Buffalo player dropped face-first after his helmet hit Hixon high on the left shoulder and side of the helmet.

When Everett arrived at the hospital Sunday, he was paralyzed below his neck. Since then, he has shown signs of improvement and was taken off a respirator Wednesday.

[mmmdk]

Things continue to look better for Kevin Everett. It's still a long road, but he's making progress.


Source: Bills tight end Everett slightly moved 3 fingers on right hand

By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
September 14, 2007


BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Kevin Everett has slightly moved three fingers on his right hand, potentially another positive sign in his recovery from a life-threatening spinal-cord injury, a person close to the family told The Associated Press on Friday.

The Buffalo tight end voluntarily moved his fingers Thursday night "more than a little bit but not with great force," said the person who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of Everett's status. "There was slight movement."

Dr. Barth Green of the Miami Project also told The Miami Herald on Friday that Everett showed movement in his fingers early Friday morning. Green said he spoke on the phone with Bills orthopedic surgeon Andrew Cappuccino, who updated him.

On Wednesday, doctors said Everett could wiggle his toes, bend his hip, move his ankles, elevate and kick his leg, as well as extend his elbows and slightly flex his biceps. But he had not been able to move his hands.

Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold didn't immediately return messages left by the AP. Officials at Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital have deferred all updates to the Bills.

Everett was hurt Sunday after ducking his head while tackling Denver's Domenik Hixon during the second-half kickoff in the season opener. The Buffalo player dropped face-first after his helmet hit Hixon high on the left shoulder and side of the helmet.

When Everett arrived at the hospital Sunday, he was paralyzed below his neck. Since then, he has shown signs of improvement and was taken off a respirator Wednesday.

Great news!

[woodbuck27]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7222522

Everett's case one-in-100,000

Alex Marvez

FOXSports.com, Updated 14 hours ago

Dr. Frederick Mueller will be adding Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett's name to his list.

As Director of the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina, Mueller oversees research of major spinal damage suffered by athletes.

Between 1977 and 2006, 269 football players ranging from the junior high/high school level to professionals were reported to have suffered cervical cord injuries with "incomplete neurological recovery." Nine of them were pros like Detroit Lions guard Mike Utley and New York Jets defensive lineman Dennis Byrd, who suffered career-ending spinal injuries in the early 1990s.

Mueller said the majority of the injuries were suffered during games by defensive backs and players participating on kickoffs like Everett was last Sunday when severely damaging his C-3 and C-4 vertebrae trying to tackle Denver's Domenik Hixon.

Arena Football League player Al Lucas died from blunt force trauma to his spinal cord in 2005 when trying to make a tackle on a kickoff return.


More by Alex Marvez

Why this isn't more common - Physiology was against Everett

"I think it's because of tackling in the open field where the runner and tackler have speed built up," Mueller said.

"Most of the injuries also happen when the individual tackles with their head down and makes contact with the top of the helmet."

Everett did both of those things when tackling Hixon.

Junior high and high school players had the highest total (229) of serious spinal injuries followed by those from the college ranks (33). The other five were suffered by "sandlot" players.

Mueller said he believes the higher number of injuries among junior high/high school players is the result of greater participation at that level and less experience in knowing how to properly tackle. There are roughly 1.5 million youth players compared to 75,000 in college and only several thousand professionals, according to the study.

"If you had 1.5 million pros, you'd have a high number also," Mueller said.

Mueller said there is less than a one-in-100,000 chance of a football player suffering "some kind of catastrophic injury" like Everett did.

"The risk is not that high really," Mueller said.

"But when it does happen, you have to think about that young person, especially the high school kid who becomes a permanent quadriplegic and how that affects him, his family and the whole community.

"It's pretty traumatic really."