Injury to Everett worse than any loss Bills could endure

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, September 11, 2007  |  Comments( 26 )

Buffalo Bills
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Kevin Everett's all-too-brief NFL career proves the old adage that life isn't fair. Good things don't always happen to good people.

The Buffalo Bills selected Everett in the third round of the 2005 draft, and they were hoping he would develop into a go-to tight end. At Kilgore College in Texas, he was regarded as one of the nation's best junior college players. Everett then transferred in 2003 to the University of Miami, where he showed enough positive flashes for Buffalo to use a first-day draft choice on him.

Unfortunately, once the hard-working, humble Everett arrived in the pros, every bit of his luck ran out. In his first practice with the Bills, during a May 2005 organized team activity, he tore his ACL and couldn't play at all as a rookie. Everett then worked tirelessly to repair his knee in time for 2006, and he was successful. The 6-foot-4, 253-pounder played sparingly in 16 games last season, catching one pass for 1 yard.

Buffalo was hoping that this would be Everett's first year to truly shine in its offense. He was coming along, even winning the No. 2 job during the summer.

"He was playing a lot more snaps. He was featured. Kevin has done a terrific job," said head coach Dick Jauron.

On Sunday, though, the 25-year-old's career came to a screeching, sickening halt, and his life was significantly altered for the worse. While covering the opening kickoff of the second half, he rushed headfirst toward Denver Broncos return man Domenik Hixon, made awkward contact and fell to the ground, where he laid motionless for 15 minutes. Everett was then driven off the field in an ambulance, and he has been at Buffalo's Millard Filmore Gates Hospital since. As of now, he's in the hospital's intensive care unit, in a drug-induced state.

Dr. John Marzo performed emergency decompressive surgery Sunday night on Everett.

Revealed Monday was that Everett might end up paralyzed. Worse yet, living through this injury is not a sure thing.

Everett's orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Andrew Cappuccino, held a bleak press conference Monday, stating that Everett suffered a fracture to his cervical spine, and that chances of recovery are roughly 5 percent.

"Any injury at this level often can lead to respiratory collapse. You can die from respiratory failure," said Cappuccino.

Obviously, the mood among the Buffalo organization was somber. To the players and coaches, Everett is a friend, not just a teammate, and his loss hurts more than any last-second defeat possibly could.

"Every day, I communicate with him ... His locker's right next to mine, and we just have that bond," said wide receiver Roscoe Parrish, who has been a teammate and close confidant of Everett since the two played together in college.

Punter Brian Moorman was the most emotional Bill on Monday.

"I hope it's the last time I ever have to choke back tears on the middle of the playing field. At the end of the day, you're just sitting there, watching, waiting for him to give that thumbs up, and he didn't give it," said Moorman, once again fighting back tears.

Before Sunday, Kevin Everett was hardly a household name among the league's fans. Sadly, he has since become sports' biggest story for all the wrong reasons.

"We move forward by honoring Kevin and never forgetting him," said Jauron.

Whether in triumph or in failure, the 0-1 Bills -- whose 15-14 loss to Denver had to be nothing shy of gut-wrenching -- have a chance to begin honoring Everett during this Sunday's game against the 1-0 Pittsburgh Steelers. They can do so by playing hard and leaving everything on the field, a trait that Jauron-coached teams have become known for.

It may sound hackneyed, but an event of this magnitude pinpoints what matters in life. Most likely, every member of Buffalo's roster would say that seeing Everett climb his nearly impossible mountain and walk again is more important than any victory they might achieve on the field.

6:30 p.m. update on Kevin Everett: According to doctors, Everett now has voluntary movement in his limbs, and there is a realistic possibility that he will ultimately walk out of Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital on his own. Dr. Cappuccino is referring to this as a "minor miracle."

E-mail: cbyrne@realfootball365.com

RealFootball365: Wishing Kevin Everett the best in his recovery.
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