Kevin Everett Kevin Everett , ( born February 5 , 1982 ) 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 . High school career . Everett attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur , 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 . College career . Kilgore College . Kevin Everett attended Kilgore College 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 . University of Miami . He subsequently transferred to the University of Miami . Everett left Miami as the 86th overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft . Professional career . In 2005 , Everett became the second tight end the Buffalo Bills brought to the team in as many years , after Tim Euhus 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 . Career ending injury and impact . On September 9 , 2007 , in week one of the 2007 NFL Season , 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 .