Kevin Everett
Encyclopedia
Kevin Everett, is a former American football
tight end
who played for the Buffalo Bills
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at the University of Miami
after transferring from Kilgore College
.
On September 9, 2007, Everett sustained a fracture and dislocation of his cervical spine
that his doctors characterized as "life-threatening" the day after the injury, and stated it is likely to leave him with permanent neurological impairment. However, on September 11, 2007, Everett showed significant movement in his arms and legs, which led doctors to speculate that he might eventually be able to walk again. Indeed, Everett walked in public for the first time at Ralph Wilson Stadium
before the home finale against the New York Giants
on December 23, 2007.
, Texas
, where he was a three-year letterman in football. As a senior, he won Class 5A All-State honors in 2000. He had six quarterback sacks, 49 solo tackles and eight tackles for losses. He also forced six fumbles, garnered four fumble recoveries and blocked one kick.
in Kilgore
, Texas
for two years, where he was a two time first-team All-Southwest Junior College football conference pick, ranked the second best junior college player in the nation. As a sophomore, he caught 18 passes for 310 yards and 2 touchdowns.
. Everett left Miami as the 86th overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft
.
was drafted in 2004
. Everett struggled with injuries almost from his first day of play with the Bills, having missed the 2005 season
after suffering a torn knee ligament on the first day of 2005 minicamp. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list on August 10, 2005, and on injured reserve on November 30.
Everett returned to play in 2006
, where he participated on special teams for most of the season. He made his first career start on September 10, 2006 at New England
, with the Bills opening in a two-tight end set. On October 1 of that same year, Everett made his first career NFL reception, gaining one yard on a deflected pass.
, while attempting to tackle Denver Broncos
' kickoff return man Domenik Hixon
, Everett sustained a neck injury that resulted in his transport off the field by ambulance and emergency surgery at Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital. The injury was described as a cervical spine injury. Following the lengthy surgery, Everett's agent, Brian Overstreet, expressed hope that the injured player would be able to walk, but also reported Everett's movement as "sparse." Aside from his eyes, Everett had not shown any signs of movement on the field after sustaining the injury. It was announced that he would spend one or two days under sedation as doctors evaluate the severity of his injury.
In a televised September 10 press conference, Buffalo Bills team medical director Dr. John Marzo described Everett's injury as a fracture and dislocation of the cervical spine, resulting in injury to the spinal cord. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Andrew Cappuccino
of Buffalo Spine Surgery, and member of the Buffalo Bills medical staff, was Everett's attending surgeon, and described the injury to Everett's spinal cord as a "scissoring" or "pinching" injury, caused by dislocation of the third and fourth cervical vertebrae
.
Cappuccino repaired a fracture between the third and fourth vertebrae in a procedure that included a bone graft, the insertion of a plate and four screws in Everett's spinal column, and the relief of pressure on the spinal cord. Cappuccino reported that, immediately after the injury, Everett could not feel anything below his shoulders, but the morning after surgery, he had some voluntary movement in his legs, and could feel pressure "down to his feet." However, Cappuccino gave the player a "statistically very small" chance of walking again.
Cappuccino originally stated that he believed Everett would sustain "permanent" neurological damage, and used terms such as "bleak" and "dismal" to describe the outlook for a case he frankly described as "life-threatening", giving Everett less than a 5-10% chance of regaining full utilization of his physical capabilities.
Until September 11, Everett remained on a respirator, but was able to breathe on his own while it was briefly turned off. Cappuccino described Everett's respiratory risks as among the issues he described as "life-threatening" as well as how techniques, such as intravenous methods to reduce Everett's body temperature in an attempt to reduce the swelling, were performed in order to make operation easier. Cappuccino described Everett as an "NFL athlete [with] a warrior's mentality," who showed concern primarily for his family, and who asked doctors to do everything they could for him.
WIVB-TV, the CBS affiliate in Buffalo, reported on September 11 that Everett had regained voluntary movement in his arms and legs, a huge improvement compared to the prognosis given the previous day. Later, ESPN
reported that Kevin's doctors were more optimistic with the strength of movements he gained; they claimed that he may be able to possibly walk out of the hospital. Dr. Barth Green, neurological surgery department chair at the University of Miami
School of Medicine, said "based on our experience, the fact that he's moving so well, so early after such a catastrophic injury means he will walk again." When asked about Everett's chances for full recovery, Green replied that, while "not 100 percent predictable," it was "feasible that he could lead a normal life," and credited the hypothermic treatment of intravenous ice-cold saline, administered within minutes of Everett's injury, as having been a significant factor in minimizing the damage. Green referred to this method as an "ice-pack for his spinal cord."
On September 12, a report by Dr. Cappuccino and supporting neurosurgeon Dr. Kevin J. Gibbons was released via press conference that was shown live on ESPN. Gibbons reported that Kevin had been able to slightly move his arms and legs and also wiggle his toes. However, he could not move his hands. When asked about the report that Dr. Barth Green had made the day before in which Green stated that Everett would most likely walk out of the hospital, Cappuccino said that it was just an opinion and that walking out of the hospital was "not a realistic goal" at this point. Gibbons said that right now, the only thing they were concerned about was getting Kevin to walk again. Also in that report, it was stated that Kevin had been taken off the respirator and was able to breathe on his own. On September 14, Fox Sports
reported that Everett had begun to regain movement in his right hand. On September 17, 2007, he regained movement in both hands and was steadily regaining strength in his legs, and on September 20, Dr. Barth Green told the Associated Press
that Everett will be able to stand and walk within weeks, and perhaps sooner.
As of October 1, 2007, Everett had been relocated to Houston, near his family and off-season home, where he will begin a long rehabilitation that doctors believe will lead to his eventually walking again (they are "optimistic") and possibly even making a full recovery. Working in his favor are his age, the incomplete nature of the spinal cord injury, his constitution, and exceptional physical condition at the time of injury, as well as the rapid treatment he received. On October 16, it was reported that Everett has been able to walk "to an extent." During the broadcast it was announced Everett had been released from his Houston hospital to resume rehab as an outpatient.
On December 7, Everett was able to walk on his own power, but he did not have full movement. Everett appeared on the cover of the December 17 issue of Sports Illustrated
, which contains an article on his injury, rehabilitation and recovery. On Sunday, December 23, 2007, Kevin walked publicly on the field of Ralph Wilson Stadium
in front of a number of fans for the home finale against the New York Giants. Coincidentally, Domenik Hixon was on the Giants at the time of the game after being from released by the Broncos. On January 31, 2008, Everett accepted NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's
invitation to sit with him at Super Bowl XLII
. That day, he also appeared on Oprah
, clearly able to walk under his own power.
On April 9, 2008 Everett underwent more surgery
to relieve persistent pain in his neck. On May 12, 2008 Everett was waived by the Buffalo Bills
to allow him to be eligible to immediately apply for lifetime disability benefits. The Bills kept Everett on the active roster prior to waiving him to ensure that he completed three full NFL seasons, allowing him to qualify for a full pension. On July 20, 2008 Everett was awarded the Jimmy V award for perseverance at the 2008 ESPY Awards for his heroic recovery from neck injury that threatened his chances of walking again, defying the odds and "never giving up"—something Jim Valvano
said himself at the 1993 ESPY Awards. Everett was the grand marshal
and gave the command to start engines for NASCAR Nationwide Series Zippo 200
at Watkins Glen on August 9, 2008.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
who played for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
after transferring from Kilgore College
Kilgore College
Kilgore College is a community college located in Kilgore, Texas. It has an annual enrollment of more than 5000 students.The school was established in 1935 at the height of the East Texas oil boom...
.
On September 9, 2007, Everett sustained a fracture and dislocation of his cervical spine
Cervical vertebrae
In vertebrates, cervical vertebrae are those vertebrae immediately inferior to the skull.Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are defined as those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow the lumbar vertebrae, which also...
that his doctors characterized as "life-threatening" the day after the injury, and stated it is likely to leave him with permanent neurological impairment. However, on September 11, 2007, Everett showed significant movement in his arms and legs, which led doctors to speculate that he might eventually be able to walk again. Indeed, Everett walked in public for the first time at Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
before the home finale against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on December 23, 2007.
High school career
Everett attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Port ArthurPort Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where he was a three-year letterman in football. As a senior, he won Class 5A All-State honors in 2000. He had six quarterback sacks, 49 solo tackles and eight tackles for losses. He also forced six fumbles, garnered four fumble recoveries and blocked one kick.
Kilgore College
Kevin Everett attended Kilgore CollegeKilgore College
Kilgore College is a community college located in Kilgore, Texas. It has an annual enrollment of more than 5000 students.The school was established in 1935 at the height of the East Texas oil boom...
in Kilgore
Kilgore, Texas
Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk Counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the home of Kilgore College, and was also the childhood home of famous classical pianist Van Cliburn...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
for two years, where he was a two time first-team All-Southwest Junior College football conference pick, ranked the second best junior college player in the nation. As a sophomore, he caught 18 passes for 310 yards and 2 touchdowns.
University of Miami
He subsequently transferred to the University of MiamiUniversity of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
. Everett left Miami as the 86th overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
.
Professional career
In 2005, Everett became the second tight end the Buffalo Bills brought to the team in as many years, after Tim EuhusTim Euhus
Tim Euhus is an American football tight end currently in free agency. He was originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
was drafted in 2004
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. Everett struggled with injuries almost from his first day of play with the Bills, having missed the 2005 season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
after suffering a torn knee ligament on the first day of 2005 minicamp. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list on August 10, 2005, and on injured reserve on November 30.
Everett returned to play in 2006
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
, where he participated on special teams for most of the season. He made his first career start on September 10, 2006 at New England
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, with the Bills opening in a two-tight end set. On October 1 of that same year, Everett made his first career NFL reception, gaining one yard on a deflected pass.
Career Ending injury and Impact
On September 9, 2007, in week one of the 2007 NFL Season2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, while attempting to tackle Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' kickoff return man Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron.-Early years:Hixon was born to an African American...
, Everett sustained a neck injury that resulted in his transport off the field by ambulance and emergency surgery at Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital. The injury was described as a cervical spine injury. Following the lengthy surgery, Everett's agent, Brian Overstreet, expressed hope that the injured player would be able to walk, but also reported Everett's movement as "sparse." Aside from his eyes, Everett had not shown any signs of movement on the field after sustaining the injury. It was announced that he would spend one or two days under sedation as doctors evaluate the severity of his injury.
In a televised September 10 press conference, Buffalo Bills team medical director Dr. John Marzo described Everett's injury as a fracture and dislocation of the cervical spine, resulting in injury to the spinal cord. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Andrew Cappuccino
Andrew Cappuccino
Dr. Andrew Cappuccino is the orthopedic surgeon who treated Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett for his cervical spine injury. Cappuccino's use of induced hypothermia garnered national headlines for the technique....
of Buffalo Spine Surgery, and member of the Buffalo Bills medical staff, was Everett's attending surgeon, and described the injury to Everett's spinal cord as a "scissoring" or "pinching" injury, caused by dislocation of the third and fourth cervical vertebrae
Cervical vertebrae
In vertebrates, cervical vertebrae are those vertebrae immediately inferior to the skull.Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are defined as those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow the lumbar vertebrae, which also...
.
Cappuccino repaired a fracture between the third and fourth vertebrae in a procedure that included a bone graft, the insertion of a plate and four screws in Everett's spinal column, and the relief of pressure on the spinal cord. Cappuccino reported that, immediately after the injury, Everett could not feel anything below his shoulders, but the morning after surgery, he had some voluntary movement in his legs, and could feel pressure "down to his feet." However, Cappuccino gave the player a "statistically very small" chance of walking again.
Cappuccino originally stated that he believed Everett would sustain "permanent" neurological damage, and used terms such as "bleak" and "dismal" to describe the outlook for a case he frankly described as "life-threatening", giving Everett less than a 5-10% chance of regaining full utilization of his physical capabilities.
Until September 11, Everett remained on a respirator, but was able to breathe on his own while it was briefly turned off. Cappuccino described Everett's respiratory risks as among the issues he described as "life-threatening" as well as how techniques, such as intravenous methods to reduce Everett's body temperature in an attempt to reduce the swelling, were performed in order to make operation easier. Cappuccino described Everett as an "NFL athlete [with] a warrior's mentality," who showed concern primarily for his family, and who asked doctors to do everything they could for him.
WIVB-TV, the CBS affiliate in Buffalo, reported on September 11 that Everett had regained voluntary movement in his arms and legs, a huge improvement compared to the prognosis given the previous day. Later, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
reported that Kevin's doctors were more optimistic with the strength of movements he gained; they claimed that he may be able to possibly walk out of the hospital. Dr. Barth Green, neurological surgery department chair at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
School of Medicine, said "based on our experience, the fact that he's moving so well, so early after such a catastrophic injury means he will walk again." When asked about Everett's chances for full recovery, Green replied that, while "not 100 percent predictable," it was "feasible that he could lead a normal life," and credited the hypothermic treatment of intravenous ice-cold saline, administered within minutes of Everett's injury, as having been a significant factor in minimizing the damage. Green referred to this method as an "ice-pack for his spinal cord."
On September 12, a report by Dr. Cappuccino and supporting neurosurgeon Dr. Kevin J. Gibbons was released via press conference that was shown live on ESPN. Gibbons reported that Kevin had been able to slightly move his arms and legs and also wiggle his toes. However, he could not move his hands. When asked about the report that Dr. Barth Green had made the day before in which Green stated that Everett would most likely walk out of the hospital, Cappuccino said that it was just an opinion and that walking out of the hospital was "not a realistic goal" at this point. Gibbons said that right now, the only thing they were concerned about was getting Kevin to walk again. Also in that report, it was stated that Kevin had been taken off the respirator and was able to breathe on his own. On September 14, Fox Sports
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
reported that Everett had begun to regain movement in his right hand. On September 17, 2007, he regained movement in both hands and was steadily regaining strength in his legs, and on September 20, Dr. Barth Green told the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
that Everett will be able to stand and walk within weeks, and perhaps sooner.
As of October 1, 2007, Everett had been relocated to Houston, near his family and off-season home, where he will begin a long rehabilitation that doctors believe will lead to his eventually walking again (they are "optimistic") and possibly even making a full recovery. Working in his favor are his age, the incomplete nature of the spinal cord injury, his constitution, and exceptional physical condition at the time of injury, as well as the rapid treatment he received. On October 16, it was reported that Everett has been able to walk "to an extent." During the broadcast it was announced Everett had been released from his Houston hospital to resume rehab as an outpatient.
On December 7, Everett was able to walk on his own power, but he did not have full movement. Everett appeared on the cover of the December 17 issue of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, which contains an article on his injury, rehabilitation and recovery. On Sunday, December 23, 2007, Kevin walked publicly on the field of Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
in front of a number of fans for the home finale against the New York Giants. Coincidentally, Domenik Hixon was on the Giants at the time of the game after being from released by the Broncos. On January 31, 2008, Everett accepted NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's
Roger Goodell
Roger S. Goodell is the Commissioner of the National Football League , having been chosen to succeed the retiring Paul Tagliabue on August 8, 2006. He was chosen over four finalists for the position, winning a close vote on the fifth ballot before being unanimously approved by acclamation of the...
invitation to sit with him at Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
. That day, he also appeared on Oprah
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, clearly able to walk under his own power.
On April 9, 2008 Everett underwent more surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
to relieve persistent pain in his neck. On May 12, 2008 Everett was waived by the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
to allow him to be eligible to immediately apply for lifetime disability benefits. The Bills kept Everett on the active roster prior to waiving him to ensure that he completed three full NFL seasons, allowing him to qualify for a full pension. On July 20, 2008 Everett was awarded the Jimmy V award for perseverance at the 2008 ESPY Awards for his heroic recovery from neck injury that threatened his chances of walking again, defying the odds and "never giving up"—something Jim Valvano
Jim Valvano
James Thomas Anthony "Jim" Valvano , nicknamed Jimmy V, was an American college basketball coach.While the head basketball coach at North Carolina State University, he won the 1983 NCAA Basketball Tournament against high odds...
said himself at the 1993 ESPY Awards. Everett was the grand marshal
Grand Marshal
Grand Marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "Marshal" with the first usage of the term "Grand Marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders...
and gave the command to start engines for NASCAR Nationwide Series Zippo 200
Zippo 200
The Zippo 200 at the Glen is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race that takes place at the Watkins Glen International circuit in New York.The race has been run every year since 2005 and marked the return of NASCAR's lower-tier series to the Glen...
at Watkins Glen on August 9, 2008.
External links
- Buffalo Bills bio
- "Standing Tall: The Kevin Everett Story" By: Sam Carchidi,Triumph Books