Kevin Everett

Kevin Everett featured on SI magazine. (Sports Illustrated)

On September 9th, 2007, in a game against the Denver Broncos, Kevin Everett had 1 tackle, a tackle that would change his life forever.

Kevin Everett gets in his defensive stance. (Allcanes)

Kevin Everett grew up in Port Arthur Texas, playing high school football at Thomas Jefferson High School. He started playing varsity football when he was a sophomore, and mainly played defense. He was drafted to play football in Kilgore College in Kilgore Texas. At Kilgore he played tight end, racking up numerous catches and a couple of touchdowns. Everett was then transferred to the University of Miami where he played tight end.

Kevin Everett was then drafted to play in the Professional Football League in 2005 by the Buffalo Bills. Kevin was on the roster as the backup tight end, but he was one of the main players to play in special teams. Even though Everett suffered many injuries at the beginning of his professional career, he countered those with his perseverance. In 2006 he finally recovered from all of his injuries, and started to play in many games. Whether or not he was blocking punts, tackling a return man, or receiving yards for a first down, Everett always had an impact on the game.

On September 9, 2007, the first week of the NFL season, Kevin Everett was injured while tackling Denver Broncos return man Domenik Hixon. Everett was quickly transported to Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital. Orthopedic surgeon Andrew Cappuccino was assigned to diagnose and perform surgery on Everett. He described the injury as a cervical spine injury, which directly affects the spine. The chances were against him. Directly after Cappuccino performed surgery, Everett could not feel anything below his shoulders. The day after, he could barely move his foot. Cappuccino said that Everett had a very small chance of walking again, and the chances of him making a full recovery were between 5-10%.

Everett lies motionless on the feild. (AP Photo)

But slowly, impossibly, Kevin Everett started to move. At first, he could only move his legs and arms just a little bit, but he then started to gain confidence and was able to move easier. During a press conference, Cappuccino stated that Everett now had a better chance of walking. When Everett was moved to Houston to be closer to his family, he began a long period of rehabilitation that would eventually lead to him being able to walk.

December 7th marks the day when Kevin Everett was able to walk again. He did not have full movement throughout his whole body, but he could walk. He had accomplished the impossible. Kevin Everett went on to be able to walk perfectly to the extent that if you looked at him you would not be able to tell that he even had an injury. Everett did not go back to play football, with his previous injury it was too risky, but he is now living a normal life with his family.

A man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength. That is the definition of a hero. Kevin Everett has all of these qualities. Everett was given a 5-10% chance to make a full recovery, and went through a medical operation that was against standards, and some said it would never work. But Everett never gave up, even when he was lying in the hospital, on life support. An average person probably would not have made the amazing recovery that Everett did. He now visits many schools and institutions teaching kids to never give up.

Kevin puts it this way, “I know you've got to take the good with the bad, and you've got to be strong. Plain and simple. Just because you get knocked down doesn't mean you've got to stay down. That's what I feel about all of this. If you get knocked down, you've got to get back up.”

Kevin Everett is reconized at a Bill's home game. (Buffolo Bills Photography)

Kevin Everett is my hero because he went against all odds and persevered through his injury. He gives hope to all who have suffered a spinal injury or any injury. He is an example that if you believe, then you can achieve. Because of his miraculous recovery, Kevin has been featured on Oprah, and received the Jimmy V award on the ESPY’s. He is my hero and should be an inspiration for everyone.