Devin Hebert's pass got tipped. A defender intercepted it. Hebert hustled to make the tackle. Something then went terribly wrong.
Hebert felt his own neck snap. Then he felt nothing else.

"I knew I was paralyzed, but I wasn't crying. I just kind of had a sad voice and didn't know what to do," he told Michael Sudhalter of the Houston Community Newspapers.

Since the tragedy, Hebert, a 16-year-old junior varsity quarterback at Jersey Village High near Houston, has befriended a former NFL tight end and fellow Texan named Kevin Everett.

Everett sees Hebert, paralyzed from the waist down, and realizes, "there but for the grace of God go I."

Hebert sees Everett and tells him, "I want to become like you one day."

Three thousand times a year in high school football and lower levels, severe neck injuries occur, though not all as devastating as Herbert's trauma. It happens less frequently in college, or in the National Football League.

That's where it happened to Kevin Everett, who visited Huntsville Friday at the behest of The Orthopedic Center and its partners. He was accompanied by a wise-cracking, dice-rolling doctor named Andrew Cappucino, who didn't merely help Everett walk again, but kept him alive with treatment that was equal parts genius and gamble.

Everett's story may be relatively familiar to football fans. He was a tight end for the Buffalo Bills. On Sept. 9, 2007, at 2:30 p.m., he was covering the second-half kickoff and tackled the Broncos' Dominik Hixon on a collision so fierce "I thought a gun had gone off," remembered Cappucino, one of the Bills' team physicians.

Everett lay face down on the field, motionless. Fortunately, Cappucino, a spine specialist, had recently conducted a "refresher course" on spinal injuries with the Bills' training staff. Everyone responded perfectly to Everett's injury.

Controversial treatment

Cappucino then opted for a controversial method of treatment in which Everett's body was essentially turned into a human refrigerator coil. His body temperature was lowered drastically to reduce swelling around the injury.

Still, thought Cappucino, "He's never going to walk again. And he might be on a respirator the rest of his life."

But Everett, conscious though struggling to breathe, said, "Do whatever you have to do because I'm going to beat this."

Everett underwent surgery. Screws and plates were placed in his neck. ("He now picks up FM radio on a routine basis," joked Cappucino.) Within two days, nurses noticed Everett's legs moving. Within three days, he was off the respirator.

Today, Kevin Everett walks.

There's still some tingling in his extremities. His feet grow numb if he's stands for too long. But there are few, if any, visible clues to his injury. He's traveling the country, helping raise money for the Kevin Everett Foundation, which helps low-income families cope with the vast expense incurred after serious spinal injuries.

Devin Hebert has it right. Maybe we all should want to become like Everett one day.

In the world of sport, there's a word that gets bandied about recklessly. Miracle. A miracle comeback. A miracle basket. A miracle is worth a million but we treat it like a nickel. We've cheapened it. Not Everett.

"When you mention miracle," Everett said, "the first thing you've got to take into consideration is God. This could have been a lot worse. But God spares you. And there was the timing of it all. ... And my doctors and staff and everybody who took a part in my surgery and recovery to get me to where I am today, where I feel normal. That's a miracle."

There's one more miracle. Maybe two.

Devin Hebert went home from the hospital two weeks ago.

Four weeks ago, Kevin's wife Wiande came home from the hospital with the couple's first child, a daughter, Famatta

"It's a beautiful thing," said Everett. "A beautiful thing."

(al.com)

Beaumont, Texas  - When choosing the 2008 Christmas Parade Grand Marshal, the City of Beaumont was looking for someone who could relate to what the area had been through this year and provide inspiration to help lift citizens' spirits. Southeast Texas native and former Buffalo Bill Kevin Everett fit the "bill" perfectly.

Just as Southeast Texans have shown resilience in bouncing back from the violent destruction of Hurricane Ike, Everett has been fighting physically to regain mobility and strength after suffering a paralyzing and potentially fatal cervical spine fracture while making a tackle.

"Just because you get knocked down doesn't mean you've got to stay down," Everett told Sports Illustrated about his injury and subsequent miraculous recovery. The quote resonates with many Southeast Texans working to rebuild their homes and businesses in the wake of the hurricane. The Christmas Holiday Festival and Parade is Beaumont's way of showing its miraculous recovery as well, and providing families a grand event to kick off holiday celebrations.

As Grand Marshal, Everett will participate in the Tree Lighting Ceremony on the grounds of the Art Museum of Southeast Texas at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, and then ride along in the Lighted Christmas Parade at 6 p.m.

About Kevin Everett: Everett, born and raised in Port Arthur, was drafted out of the University of Miami in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Two short years later in Week One of the season, Sept. 9, 2007, the tight end sustained the neck injury that ended his promising career. During the second half kickoff return, Everett's efforts to tackle an opposing team member resulted in a helmet-to-helmet collision that left him lying motionless on the field.

Everett was transported to a hospital for a lengthy surgery. Doctors described Everett's injury as "catastrophic" and leaving him with a "permanent neurological deficit" that would make a full recovery unlikely.  But it was his determination, inner strength and superior medical care that had him moving his arms and legs just two days later. On Oct. 16, Everett took his first steps since the injury and was fully walking on his own by Dec. 7.

Called the "Miracle Man," Everett has written a book about his remarkable recovery and is realizing his new role as an inspiration for other victims of spinal cord injuries.

Grand Marshal Everett will definitely help the City of Beaumont spread the holiday cheer and convey the 2008 Parade's theme: "Celebrating the Spirit of Southeast Texas."

The City of Beaumont invites everyone to come celebrate the sights and sounds of the holidays with a lighted parade and a day of festivities at Beaumont's Christmas Holiday Festival & Parade Saturday, December 6.

Events begin at 8:30 a.m. with a 5K Jingle Bell Fun Run from the Crockett Street Entertainment District. The Junior League of Beaumont's Very Merry Main Street Market will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Beaumont Civic Center.  Public Ice Skating will take place at The criKet Ice Skating Rink between the Julie Rogers Theatre and the Public Library.  A Children's Party will be held at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas and Texas Energy Museum at 2:30 p.m. with the Official Tree Lighting Ceremony at 5 p.m. and Lighted Parade following at 6 p.m.

(kfdm.com)

The Pro Football Writers of America presented former Bills tight end Kevin Everett with the George Halas Award before Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

“It’s a great honor and to be the first Buffalo Bill to receive this award is amazing,” said Everett. “The injury was bad, but there have been some great things that have come from it. We’ve been able to help a lot of people. It’s a real honor.”

Everett became the 39th recipient of the award, given to the NFL player who overcame the most adversity to succeed last season, in light of Everett’s rehabilitation from what was initially characterized as a life-threatening spinal injury suffered almost a year ago to the day in the Bills’ 2007 season opener.

Days after doctors stated Everett was likely to have suffered permanent neurological impairment, Everett showed movement in his arms and legs and walked prior to the end of the football season.

Everett won the award among a strong group of candidates including the Washington Redskins (Sean Taylor death), Plaxico Burress (ankle injuries), and Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis (Achilles’ tendon) and Giants quarterback Eli Manning (media scrutiny).

The Bills’ training staff was honored as the NFL Athletic training Staff of the Year by its colleagues in part for its treatment of Everett’s injury. Eleven days prior to the season opener, the Bills training staff ran through a 90-minute spinal injury drill to prepare for an injury like Everett’s.
A combination of that training, aggressive treatment by doctors and Everett’s own courage and strength allowed Everett to walk less than a month after his injury.

Everett set the crowd into a frenzy after walking to the 50 yard line and thanking the fans of Buffalo, who Everett said he was accepting the award on behalf of.

“It’s always great to be back,” Everett said. “I can’t thank you guys enough for all the love.”

(buffalobills.com)

Sep 4th, 2008 | ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Kevin Everett will be honored while attending Buffalo's season opener against Seattle on Sunday, a year after the former Bills tight end sustained a severe life-threatening spinal cord injury.

Everett, who has since made a remarkable recovery, is scheduled to be present to receive the Professional Football Writers of America's Halas Award, which goes to the individual in the NFL who overcame the most adversity to succeed last season.

Everett certainly fits that bill. Doctors feared he'd never walk again after he was initially paralyzed from the neck down attempting to make a tackle while covering a kickoff in the Bills' season opener against Denver.

Days later, Everett showed signs of movement and began walking by November. He has since written a book about his recovery and received numerous honors.

It will be Everett's second visit to a Bills game after he attended the team's home finale last season, a 38-21 loss to the New York Giants on Dec. 23.

Later this month, Everett will be honored by The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at its annual Great Sports Legends Dinner in New York. Everett will receive the Inspiration Award handed out by the University of Miami-based spinal cord injury research center.

The Miami Project played a role in Everett's recovery by consulting with Bills team physicians shortly after the player was hurt.

(ap.com)

WATKINS GLEN — After his catastrophic injury in 2007, to see former Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett walking is an inspiration.
But for some of the more than 100 fans who waited in line almost an hour to get Everett’s autograph, seeing him was more than inspirational. It was an honor and a thrill.

“I work in an emergency room and my wife is a nurse, who works with people who have had the type of injury Kevin had,” said Robert Alexander of Hornell. “It was something just to shake his hand. I’ve been a Bills fan forever, so this is really special for me. I know the whole story and I know his family has a lot of faith and they were behind him all the way through in the recovery process. I was thrilled to meet him.”

Everett, 26, was a third round draft choice of the Bills in 2005. In the opening game of the 2007 season, while making a tackle on the second-half kickoff, the 6-4, 235-pound Everett fractured and dislocated his cervical spine. It was an injury that, doctors said, threatened his life.

The young athlete from Port Arthur, Texas, who attended the University of Miami, suffered immediate paralysis from the neck down after the accident, but began to regain some movement within a couple of days. The prognosis improved, still, doctors said in the first week after the injury that he would probably not walk again.

When he began to regain movement in his hands and feet, doctors revised his prognosis to include being able to walk. Not quite a year later, he stood on pit road today as the grand marshal of the Zippo 200 and gave the command, "Gentlemen, start your engines."

“He’s amazing,” Steve Rand of Auburn said. Rand described himself as definitely not an avid NASCAR or Buffalo Bills fan. But Rand felt compelled to be the first in line at the WGI Pyramid to get his copy of “Standing Tall: The Kevin Everett Story” signed by Everett.

Now, every day presents and opportunity for Everett to advocate for people with spinal injuries. He says he doesn’t take anything for granted.

“It’s been a tough recovery — a lesson from God and a lot of work,” Everett said. “I still rehab three days a week, about three hours a day, and I’d say I’m somewhere around 60 percent. I’m working on endurance and trying to get stronger. But we’re trying to help people. We have a foundation and we’re doing some things together with the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis to raise money.”

Everett, who married in April, was accompanied his wife, Wiande, at WGI and he credited her with being the impetus behind the book.

“My wife is the reason for the book,” Everett said. Wiande was Everett’s fiancée at the time of the accident and she has supported him all along the road to recovery. “We thought it would be a good idea for people out there going through the same thing and need some inspiration. Just waking up every day and going to therapy seeing different people with injuries worse than mine. That’s one of the things that gave me the strength to keep trying to get better.”

(stargazette.com)

Watkins Glen, NY (July 30, 2008) – Former Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett will serve as the Grand Marshal for the Zippo 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, August 9. Everett will have the prestigious responsibility of saying the four most famous words in racing – “Gentlemen, start your engines!” – to complete the pre-race ceremonies. The green flag will drop on the Zippo 200 at 3:00 PM EST and will air live on ABC.

“We are pleased to welcome Kevin Everett as the grand marshal of the Zippo 200,” said Zippo president and CEO Greg Booth. “His story has inspired people all across the country, especially those of us in this area who followed it so closely. To have him here to start the race is a testament to his courage and determination, and a real honor for us.”

Everett will also take time during the Centurion Boats at The Glen weekend to meet his fans during a book signing. Standing Tall, the Kevin Everett Story will be on sale for fans to purchase and have Everett sign. The book signing will be at the Pyramid on Saturday, August 9.

Everett was a reserve tight end for the Buffalo Bills when he suffered a career-ending spinal cord injury during the first game of the 2007 NFL season. Despite a grim prognosis, Everett recovered from his injury and has since used his experience to raise awareness and help those with new spinal cord injuries. His remarkable recovery put him on the cover of Sports Illustrated and on Wednesday, July 20th, Everett was presented with the 2008 Jimmy V ESPY for Perseverance. The award is named after former North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano who passed away after an extended and courageous battle with cancer in 1993.

Every 49 minutes, an American sustains a spinal cord injury. Average expenses incurred during the first year after an injury are $329,000, and only half of all spinal cord injury patients have health insurance at the time of their accident. The Kevin Everett Spinal Cord Foundation is committed to helping newly injured patients with their transition from hospital to rehabilitation to home, which includes reducing the financial burden on those gravely affected by their injuries.

Tickets for the historic 60th Anniversary of racing in Watkins Glen are on-sale now! The action continues at Watkins Glen International, August 7-10, when the stars and cars of NASCAR take to the track. The Centurion Boats at The Glen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will be on Sunday, August 10 at 2:00 PM, and Zippo 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series event will be on Saturday, August 9 at 3:00 PM. Both races will broadcast live on TV. Don’t miss the return of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series during Friday night’s Crown Royal 200 at The Glen starting after Sprint Cup qualifying at 6:00 PM. Tickets are going fast! For more information and ticket orders, please contact the Watkins Glen International ticket office at 866-461-RACE or log on to the official website at www.TheGlen.com.

(rochesterhomepage.net)

Former Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett collected the Jimmy V ESPY Award for Perseverance on Wednesday night.

The award is named for the late North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano.
Everett suffered what was thought to be a paralyzing spinal cord injury during the 2007 season opener, but after rehabilitation, he is walking again.

“I had to persevere from this injury. It was tough and I’m real nervous right now,” he told the crowd. “I’m real happy I can be here standing before everybody. Jimmy V. said never give up. That’s the main thing I told myself every day lying in the hospital bed.”

The ceremony will air Sunday at 9 p. m. on ESPN.

(buffalobillsinsider.com)

PORT ARTHUR - Kevin Everett walked toward the football field at Memorial High School and paused for yet another photograph Monday.
Sheri Richmond, a Port Arthur resident who attended Lincoln High School with Everett's mother, Pat, held up a cell phone and snapped a shot.

"I hadn't seen him since right after he finished high school," said the 46-year-old Richmond, who introduced herself as his mother's old classmate. "I wanted to come here and see him for myself."

Moments later, Everett turned and had another photo taken, this time with 10-year-old Trey Pitre of Port Arthur.

"Kevin has been a role model for all these kids," said Trey's mother, Ramona, a 48-year-old teacher at a Port Arthur alternative school.
Everett, a former National Football League player whose recovery from a spinal cord injury suffered last season is considered miraculous by many, held his second annual football camp for children between ages 4 and 18 years old Monday at Memorial.

Everett, 26, did not participate in any drills during the three-hour camp but spent much of that time filling a new role. His tasks included posing for photos, signing autographs and shaking hands with many who continue to draw inspiration from his courageous recovery.

Now, during a time when he normally would be preparing for another NFL season, Everett makes public appearances on behalf of the Kevin Everett Foundation, mostly giving speeches to help raise money for spinal cord injury research.

Wednesday, he'll be in Los Angeles to be presented the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance in a ceremony that will be aired Sunday on ESPN.
The award is named for former college basketball coach Jim Valvano, who died of cancer in 1993.

As for Monday, Everett deflected attention to children in his hometown on a clear, sunny day in which the temperature topped 95 degrees.

"It feels great that I can come back and show these kids that just because you have tough times, don't let it hold you down," said Everett, whose six-inch scar on the back of his neck is evidence of his obstacle. "Be true to yourself. That's what I'm trying to pass along to these kids."

In doing so, Everett has learned to embrace the kind of fame he never thought would come his way before he suffered a spinal cord injury Sept. 9 while with the Buffalo Bills.
 
'From the heart'
Seldom does Everett go anywhere without being told he's an inspiration. He gives away more handshakes and smiles than a grocery store sample tray. He said the attention can be unsettling, but he's used to it.

"I don't really need all the pats on the back," Everett said. "I'm doing this from the heart. I love what I'm doing here. I'm excited and happy that I am doing it."

Through the afternoon, Everett conducted about a half-dozen interviews and posed for several photos. After the camp, he spent almost an hour signing autographs as many of the more than 300 campers ate pizza and hot dogs and collected athletic footwear given away by a shoe company.

"Kevin has always been a very quiet, shy, behind-the-scenes guy, even when he was playing football," said Everett's Houston-based agent, Eric Armstead. "He's really, really quiet - laid back - but you can't tell kids no. They may find inspiration in him."

Anthony Thomas, a former Bills teammate to Everett, also characterized Everett as "a quiet guy."

"You pretty much have got to poke him to say much to you," said Thomas, who played two seasons with Thomas in Buffalo. "If he don't know you, he's kind of quiet and 'Aw, shucks.'"

Thomas, who will attend the award ceremony in Los Angeles, said Everett "never wanted the attention in this way, but he's glad he's getting it in this way."
 
Lessons learned
 As for the campers, many were thrilled to learn lessons from players with NFL experience. Helping at the camp were Thomas, Port Arthur natives James Johnson (Cincinnati Bengals) and brothers Jordan (Seattle Seahawks) and Jonathan Babineaux (Atlanta Falcons).

Other players with NFL ties at the camp were Cedric Griffin (Minnesota Vikings) and Rex Hadnot (Cleveland Browns).

Campers ranged in age from 4-year-old Marcus Hill of Port Arthur to 16-year-old Dionte Forney of Nederland.

Beaumont resident Terran Vaughn, 14, said he learned a new way to catch a football: "Instead of turning around to catch the ball, I look over my shoulder."

West Brook student Michael Jolivet, 15, said he admired Everett's enthusiasm.

"Just to see him and know what he overcame gives me energy," Jolivet said.

In the end, Everett said the turnout - large enough for organizers to run out of T-shirts before everyone got one - made him feel good.

"I knew it would be a much larger turnout than it was last year based on all the attention I've been getting," Everett said. "Just coming home and seeing all the kids, them wanting to meet me, I knew it would be a much larger turnout, and it has been."

(beaumontenterprise.com)

Jerome Bettis lofted his putter and pointed a few feet right of a hole some 20 feet away on the sloping practice green at Brierwood Country Club in Hamburg.

“I should be aiming way over there,” he told his friend.

Then, as the retired Pittsburgh Steelers running back struck the ball, Kevin Everett tilted his head and tried to will his buddy’s ball home.
“I see it, I see it, I see it,” Everett said, laughing.

Everett, the former Bills tight end who suffered a spinal cord injury last September that initially left him paralyzed, was unable to play in the inaugural Kevin Everett Golf Classic on Monday.

But those lessons from Bettis, former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly and the other sports stars golfing in the fundraiser for spinal cord research were not lost on him.

“Later on down the line, hopefully one year I’ll be able to be out there,” Everett said.

Everett walked with a slight limp Monday and he continues to work at regaining full dexterity with his hands.

Yet life is getting better every day, Everett said with a smile that rarely left his face Monday.

He launched the Kevin Everett Foundation earlier this year, with the goal of raising $1 million over the next five years to benefit people with spinal cord injuries. He released a new book, “Standing Tall: The Kevin Everett Story.” And Everett recently married his longtime girlfriend, Wiande, with the couple expecting their first child in December.

“Big things will come out of him,” said Patricia Dugas, Everett’s mother. “He loved football and everything and he can’t play anymore. But it doesn’t mean it stops there.”

Everett’s inspiring story drew athletes from all sports, including Kelly, Bettis, former Notre Dame Heisman Trophy winner “Rocket” Ismail, Sabres right wing Patrick Kaleta and Patrick Kane, the Buffalo native and 2008 NHL Rookie of the Year.

“In his situation, it would be easy to close himself off,” Bettis said. “For him to want to do something like this, I can only help.”

Kelly knew firsthand the importance of Everett’s cause. His son, Hunter, who died as a result of Krabbe disease in 2005, moved Kelly to form the Hunter’s Hope Foundation in 1997. And the Hall of Fame quarterback remembers appreciating the early support from his teammates and friends.

“I’ve got so many different things going on in my life, but this [event] is one thing I put right on my calendar,” Kelly said. “This community will come out for you, as we’ve seen today and I’ve seen for the last 20-some years.”

They did Monday, with nearly every athlete personally embracing Everett before the 12:30 p. m. shotgun start. Kelly gave Everett a hug before the two University of Miami graduates flashed the “U” sign with both hands for the cameras.

The golf tournament fell while most current Bills players were out of town, so none were able to attend Monday.

“Guys have some things planned,” Everett said. “You can’t get mad about that. But hopefully they move some things around next year.”

Everett, though, might not notice if he’s too busy playing.

The foundation’s Web site is kevineverettfoundation. org.

(buffalonews.com)

The Jimmy V Award for Perseverance will honor former Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett, who was severely injured in last year's season opener but has begun to walk again.



(espn.com)

If this were the best of all possible worlds, Kevin Everett would be preparing for his fourth NFL season with the Buffalo Bills this fall.

Instead, Everett is a symbol of how risky it is to play in the NFL.

Everett's career ended in the Bills' season opener last year when he suffered a severe spinal injury, but he now might have a more important mission. The 26-year-old is showing that progress is being made in the treatment of spinal injuries, and he's starting a foundation to help other victims.

Everett probably was saved from spending his life in a wheelchair because of the progress that's already being made in treating spinal injuries.

While Everett was still on the field, a Bills doctor administered an ice-cold intravenous saline solution that he described as an ice pack for the spine. That might be one of the reasons why Everett was able to walk onto the field in Buffalo for their season finale against the New York Giants.

But Everett - who has written a book, Standing Tall, about his experience - still deals with a lot of pain, especially in the mornings when he get spasms.

"I'm still faced with challenges," Everett told the Houston Chronicle. "I pray every day that things will get better. I've got to cope with them the best way I can in everyday life."

Everett said doctors told him he might have to deal with spasms the rest of his life.

"They don't know," he said. "I'm not 100 percent. I've just got to pray every day and try to keep doing the right things."

Everett often spends hours in bed waiting for his body to unlock.

"Around midday, the blood starts flowing, and everything seems to get a little better," he said.

Everett also can't really write when he's asked for his autograph.

"I just scribble a little bit," he said. "I've got the motion down pat."

And while Everett can walk, he walks slowly.

"I fatigue real easy," he said. "It's just my whole body. It happens with this type of injury."

Not that Everett is complaining about his fate. He knows things could have been much worse.

"I want people to know I'm blessed," he said. "You've got to maintain your faith in the good times and the bad."

But he admits he still misses football.

"I miss everything about it," he said. "This is the time of year when I'd be out there working hard, conditioning myself, mentally preparing myself for the long season. Now that I don't have any of that, it's different. It's kind of hard."

(jacksonville.com)

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Former NFL player Kevin Everett on Friday launched a new foundation aimed at helping people like him, who have suffered a sports related spinal injury.

The Beaumont native launched the Kevin Everett Foundation at a luncheon today in southwest Houston. The foundation will help people with spinal cord injuries sustained through sports.

Everett was left paralyzed after taking a hit during an NFL game in September, but has made a full recovery.

"The medical bills are very expensive and I mean, it's hard for some low income families to afford to get a wheelchair for their family member that's injured or something like that," Everett told us. "So that's why I feel it's on me to start this foundation so I can help out with those things."

If you want to read more about it, here's a link to the Kevin Everett Foundation.

(abclocal.go.com)

Check out Buffalo Bills TE Kevin Everett on Rocawear’s new “I Will Not Lose” campaign which celebrates those who overcome adversity daily to continue to thrive and make the world a better place. These individuals have omitted the word “can’t” from their vocabularies and have gone on to achieve in various ways. The campaign is the brainchild of Shawn Carter, aka Jay-Z.

Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett, who is walking again after suffering a life-threatening spinal cord injury last season, was placed on the team's waived/failed physical list Tuesday, freeing him to pursue long-term disability benefits from the NFL.

Now that he has been officially waived, Everett may apply for a long-term disability payment of $224,000 per year over the life span of his injury, according to The Buffalo News, which first reported the roster move. An injured player is not eligible for that benefit while still on a team's active roster.

Everett received his full pay of $435,000 last season, his third in the NFL, qualifying him for a full NFL pension. Based on his number of years in the league, he is eligible to receive monthly payments of $1,410, the newspaper reported.

Everett may also apply for a one-time payment of $75,000 as part of the Player Health Reimbursement Plan, according to the report.

In a statement, the team said Everett's progress since the injury "is nothing short of a miracle and is a tremendous example of faith, family and hard work.

"Today we are faced with the difficult decision to place Kevin on the waived/failed physical list, making him eligible to apply for any benefits due him," the team said. "We had numerous discussions with the league in dealing with this process to assist him in the best way possible. Kevin will always remain a Buffalo Bill in the same way that Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and so many others before him are held in the highest regard by our franchise."

Everett was initially paralyzed from the neck down while attempting to make a tackle in the Bills' season opener last Sept. 9. He is now walking on his own since being released from a Houston rehabilitation facility in November.

He visited the Bills' locker room before their final regular-season game and sat with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at Super Bowl XLII.

(espn.com)

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Former Buffalo Bills player Kevin Everett will never play football again. The fact that he's able to even walk is nothing short of a miracle. Thanks in part to cutting edge medical technology, he's made an amazing recovery.

CBS 2's Megan Mawicke reports Everett is in Chicago this week sharing his story.

"Doctors told me I had very little chance of walking again," Everett said. "I stayed positive through the whole thing."

In the Bills' 2007 season opener, Everett suffered a life-threatening spinal cord injury while making a tackle. Everett's helmet collided violently with Domenik Hixon's shoulder.

"I went down on a tackle, kickoff coverage, the tackle came wide open. I fell to the turf and I just couldn't move anything at all. I was conscious. I knew I was paralyzed after he hit," he said.

He credits his recovery to a controversial cooling therapy where doctor' lowered his body temperature to decrease swelling.

"They cooled my body from inside the out," Everett explained. "I'm very thankful they used the treatment on because I do believe it played a major part in my recovery."

Everett knows he won't be 100 percent again and says football is hard to watch, but it won't stop him from living his life to the fullest.

"You have to live yourself right everyday, you just never know," he said. "I came close to death and you never know when your time is coming."

(cbs2chicago.com)

Members of the Professional Football Writers of America recently conducted voting in several categories, and here are the results:

Halas Award (For the individual in the NFL who overcame the most adversity to succeed last season.) Kevin Everett, Bills. Everett, of course, suffered temporary paralysis in a game against the Broncos last season, but overcame the odds and is now walking again. Amazing story.

(news-day.com)

BUFFALO, N.Y.: Kevin Everett is recovering after having minor surgery this week to relieve pain in his neck, which was related to the severe spinal cord injury that nearly left the Buffalo Bills tight end paralyzed last September.

"He's doing OK," Eric Armstead said Wednesday. Armstead is an attorney and associate of Everett's agent, Brian Overstreet.

The operation, performed at a Buffalo hospital, was initially scheduled for Tuesday, but pushed up to Monday, forcing Everett to cancel an appearance at a news conference. Everett was in town to announce a golf tournament and tailgate party scheduled for early July to benefit his newly established foundation to advance spinal cord injury research.

Everett was initially paralyzed from the neck down while attempting to make a tackle in the Bills' season opener on Sept. 9. He is now walking on his own since being released from a Houston rehabilitation facility in November.

Orthopedic surgeon Andrew Cappuccino, who has treated Everett since he was hurt, performed the most recent surgery. He termed the latest operation as a "a very minor procedure," in an interview with Buffalo's WIVB-TV.

"Over the course of the last few months, the parts below his injured area, just one level, became loose and needed a very minor procedure to shore them up, to make them stable so he wouldn't have neck pain," Cappuccino said.

Cappuccino did not return several messages left for him by The Associated Press.

MIAMI (AP) — Kevin Everett and Marc Buoniconti each suffered a severe spinal cord injury while making a tackle. The difference between them on Friday was the result of more than 20 years of research.

Buoniconti has used a wheelchair since being paralyzed while playing football for The Citadel in 1985.

Everett walked through the lobby of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis just about seven months after he crumpled face-down on the turf following a tackle in which his helmet struck another player's helmet and shoulder pad.

The former Buffalo Bills tight end praised the experimental therapies being developed at the world's largest spinal cord injury research center.

"You can see it works," Everett said. "They practically saved my life. They got me to where I wanted to be again, moving and walking around."

He stood tall next to Buoniconti, Dr. Barth Green, the Miami Project's co-founder, and Dr. Dalton Dietrich, its scientific director. Green started the project in 1985 with three families whose loved ones had suffered spinal cord injuries, including Buoniconti, son of pro football Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti.

"To be able to see the work of the Miami Project pay off by being part of Kevin's recovery, it means the world to us," Buoniconti said. "To see how far the research has come, it goes to show you how close we are to actually finding a cure."

Everett has made incredible progress, though his rehabilitation continues.

"I'm still working on the dexterity in my hands, being able to do everyday stuff such as brush my hair, tie my shoes," he said. "It's getting better."

Doctors initially feared Everett would never walk after he collapsed on the Bills' home turf Sept. 9. He remained motionless for several minutes while medical personnel tried to figure out what was wrong.

Everett was paralyzed from the neck down when he arrived at a Buffalo hospital, and spent the first few days on life support. He would need four hours of surgery to realign his neck and stabilize it with screws, rods and a titanium plate.

But what helped save his mobility happened just minutes after he went down. Bills doctor Andrew Cappuccino placed Everett into moderate hypothermia as he was carted to an ambulance. Cappuccino learned the experimental method to limit swelling and inflammation at a Miami Project seminar.

The therapy is analogous to an ice pack for the spine.

A few days later, Everett showed movement in his legs and arms and was sensitive to touch. He improved so steadily during the first two weeks that he was transferred to Houston for the next stage of his rehab.

Cappuccino continued consulting with Green on Everett's status until the player was transferred to Houston.

Coincidentally, Bills owner Ralph Wilson had been among Green's other surgical patients. In 1997, Green operated to relieve a narrowing around the spine that was pinching off the nerves to Wilson's feet.

Everett said he was establishing a foundation to contribute to the research at the Miami Project, starting with a fashion show fundraiser Saturday in Miami Beach. The program is based at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, Everett's alma mater.

"We're hoping that Kevin and his foundation will spread the word: More research needs to be done, patients deserve better treatment," Green said.

The Miami Project also has received a $113,000 grant from the NFL to continue its research into hypothermic therapy.

South Florida paramedics are currently being trained to administer the moderate hypothermia therapy Everett received to people who suffer heart attacks and traumatic brain and spinal injuries, said Green, chairman of Miller's neurological surgery department at the University of Miami school of medicine.

"Dr. Cappuccino showed us it was feasible," Green said.

(ap.com)

The 1st annual Kevin Everett Golf Classic Weekend has been announced and will take place on July 6th and 7th. Proceeds will obviously benefit the Kevin Everett Foundation and Spinal Cord Injury Research and Assistance.The weekend will begin with the 12th Man Tailgate Party on July 6th from 4-8pm at Brierwood C.C. in Hamburg. Then on the 7th will be the inaugural golf tournament beginning at 11 am that day.

Tickets go on sale April 15th and will be $40 per ticket for the tailgate party or $125 for a four ticket “Fan Pack.” For the golf tournament foursomes are $2,500.

For more information on this event you can go to http://www.kevineverettgolf.com/home

You can e-mail the organizers of the event at KE85GOLF@showcasesports.net with any questions or to reserve a sponsorship, foursome, or to make a donation.

(wordpress.buffalobills.com)

BALTIMORE, March 11 -- The black tuxedo was handsomely tailored, and the burgundy vest was a nice touch. The black shoes were polished perfectly, and the sunlight streaming in from a nearby window shone brightly off the diamonds in the watch on his left wrist.

But none of that stood out about Kevin Everett on this evening.

It was the walk.

It has been six months since Everett, as a reserve tight end for the Buffalo Bills playing on the kickoff coverage unit, suffered a severe spinal cord injury while making a tackle during a game against the Denver Broncos on the opening weekend of the NFL season. His doctors said publicly in the days that followed that he had nearly died and was unlikely to walk again. But Everett wasn't listening. And as he made the rounds early Tuesday night at the Ed Block Courage Awards, what was most noticeable was how normal he looked while walking. His strides were made confidently, and there was no hint of unsteadiness or a limp. Click here to continue reading...

Fans will get a chance to meet miracle man Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills at signings in Beaumont and Houston for his book Standing Tall: The Kevin Everett Story.

The tight end, who overcame tremendous odds to walk again after suffering a neck injury in the Bills' first regular-season game of 2007 left him a quadriplegic, will appear at 2 p.m. March 22 at the Barnes & Noble at 4155 Dowlen Road in Beaumont.

At 2 p.m. on April 5, he will be signing his book at the Barnes & Noble at 12850 Memorial Dr., Suite 1600 in Houston.

(chron.com)

This excerpt from "Standing Tall: The Kevin Everett Story," written by The Inquirer's Sam Carchidi, is printed with permission from Triumph Books/ www.triumphbooks.com.

From the Introduction

As Kevin Everett lay in a Buffalo hospital bed, hooked to tubes and machines that were helping him breathe, the world was told the grim news: He may not live, and he almost certainly will never walk again.

The minute the doctor gave us that startling update, Kevin Everett, a third-year tight end with the Buffalo Bills, became America's Player.

America loves underdogs.

America loves following the progress of injured, ill or handicapped athletes who are fighting nearly insurmountable odds.

(Amherst, NY, February 29, 2008) - - A man who was first known to western New Yorkers as a football player, then became an inspiration, returned last night to greet fans. News 4's Jericka Duncan reports.

It's a moment Buffalo Bills fans have been waiting for - a chance to meet Kevin Everett.

About 500 people waited at Barnes and Noble in Amherst Thursday night, waiting to see a man who became more than a football player. For them, he became an inspiration.

Kevin Everett greeted fans at his book signing.

Everett's book Standing Tall details his road to recovery from last September's injury at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

In the past six months, he's gone from a solid athlete, to a quadriplegic, to someone who's able to move on his own, Kevin Everett said, "...just working it, trying to get back, trying to learn things as far as using my hands and all that, stuff like that."

Bills fan Karen Kelleher said, "...excellent role model, how he came out of the incident, just come back to Buffalo and sign the books. We appreciate everything he's done."

Kevin Everett says plans to do some motivational speaking.

(wivb.com)

(August 13, 2007) — PITTSFORD — It has already been quite a journey for Kevin Everett, but for the 25-year-old Bills tight end, it's a journey that has really only just begun.

"He's come a million miles, but I always follow that up with there's a million more miles to go," said Buffalo's tight ends coach, Charlie Coiner. In other words, as Everett works out day to day in training camp at St. John Fisher College, he is finally starting to resemble the player the Bills thought they were getting in the third round of the 2005 draft.

However, he is far from a polished product and still has a lot to learn if he hopes to contribute to the Bills this season, or, as some have suggested, simply make the team.

Kevin Everett, tight end - Despite his solid blocking and good production late last season in limited opportunities, there are many in Buffalo who aren't enthralled by starting tight end Robert Royal. That's where Everett, the team's third-round pick in 2005, comes in. The 6-4, 253-pounder didn't have much of a career with the Miami Hurricanes, but he entered the NFL with plenty of potential. However, after missing his first season because of a knee injury, Everett was healthy in time for 2006 but finished the year with just one reception.

If the athletic 25-year-old finally starts to turn the corner this summer, it would provide yet another offensive weapon and a multidimensional threat for Losman (Everett has the speed to get downfield). In the process, Everett would form a very good one-two punch at TE with Royal, who is primarily a short-yardage man. Should Everett remain in neutral, though, he'll likely get his walking papers from Jauron soon enough, thus paving the way for Brad Cieslak and Ryan Neufeld to serve as Royal's backups.

(realfootball365.com)

As training camp fast approaches Buffalobills.com prepares you by trying to answer the top 20 questions facing the Bills in 2007. Monday through Friday until the day before training camp, Buffalobills.com will present each of the key issues facing the team in an effort to have you the fan primed for all the action at St. John Fisher. Don't stray far from Buffalobills.com!

In 2005 the Buffalo Bills made Kevin Everett their second overall pick (3rd round) in the draft. Coming out of Miami, Everett was following in the footsteps of other tight-ends. Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey and Kellen Winslow Jr. were all highly-touted first round pick out of Miami prior to Everett.

Having similar skills to that of his three predecessors, Everett was expected to provide the Bills offense with a legitimate receiving threat at the tight end position.

Unfortunately on the first day of Bills mini camp Everett tore a ligament in his knee and was lost for his rookie season. After missing his rookie campaign Everett was still new to the NFL game last year when he appeared in 16 games making four starts. He recorded only one catch for one yard against Minnesota.

There's never good news when it comes to a player sustaining an injury, but there can be bright sides. For example, Buffalo's Robert Royal taking a tumble and hurting his shoulder during a recent organized team activity, sustaining what's being called a sprain, is certainly a yikes moment for fans of a team that have been waiting semi-patiently for a tight end to do something, anything at all.

But, on a positive note, Royal isn't hurt badly, which for him is positive because it means he is allowed to cut some activities with an excused absence. And Royal's tweak means that backup Kevin Everett is getting to ditch his understudy tag for at least a little while and show what he can do before training camp.

Everett's rookie season ended approximately, oh, 11 or 12 seconds into it, as he tore his ACL almost as early as possible during initial workouts in one of his very first activities as a Bill. As frustrating as that was for a team that was hoping to have a new receiving weapon in the mix, it was likely even more exasperating for them to see him struggle in his first season on the field in 2006, as he wasn't able to stand out and be even faintly productive.

Kevin Everett was the favorite target of all three quarterbacks during red zone 7-on-7. Everett made three catches for three touchdowns including a nice grab as J.P. Losman squeezed the ball between two defenders. Losman was 9-10 passing with the touchdown to Everett. Craig Nall went 4-4 with two straight touchdowns, one to Everett and the other to Donovan Morgan. Trent Edwards made some very nice passes hooking up with Everett for a touchdown in the seam on his first pass of the drill.

(buffalobills.com)

Kevin Everett is a potential breakthrough performer for the Buffalo Bills this year.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end is one of the young players on the team who has the talent to become not just an average player but an impact player. He’s also at the point in his career, entering his second full season on the field and third overall, at which his breakthrough could happen.

The question is: Can a guy who caught one pass for 1 yard for the entire 2006 season make a big step forward?

The Bills have seen reason to be hopeful through the first six days of spring practices.

“We’ll see, but I’ve certainly liked what I’ve seen from Kevin Everett the past week,” said Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild. “I really do. I think his whole demeanor, his attention to detail, it looks good. He just looks very comfortable, and when he’s comfortable he’s a very talented guy.” Everett was a third-round pick of the Bills in 2005 out of the University of Miami. He missed his entire first season because he tore up his knee on the first day of his rookie minicamp.

Kevin Everett who saw a lot of time in the slot caught a nice pass deep down the seam. Losman hit him with a bullet on his inside shoulder as the play stood a good chance of going for a touchdown in a live football setting.

(buffalobills.com)

Entering the 2006 NFL season, many in Buffalo were holding out hope that second-year tight end Kevin Everett would emerge as a true offensive threat for the Bills. The 2005 third-round pick from the University of Miami was coming off a severe knee injury that stopped him from playing as a rookie.

Aside from Everett, the Bills' tight end stable for '06 included less-than-household names like Robert Royal, Brad Cieslak and Ryan Neufeld. Despite that, Everett never caught on his first real season as a pro. The former junior college transfer started in four of Buffalo's 16 games, catching just one pass for one yard. To say the soon-to-be 25-year-old was nonexistent would be an understatement. In fact, he was almost ghostly.

Buffalo's young quarterback, J.P. Losman, could have used a solid tight end as a security blanket. The position only produced 31 receptions (fewer than two per game), 284 yards (17.6 per contest) and four touchdowns, three of which came from the veteran Royal. Losman, who was in his first full campaign as a starting QB, was among the AFC's better passers, but he no doubt would have improved further with a more competent pass-catching TE.

With TE Kevin Everett playing less and less in recent weeks while losing playing time to undrafted free agent Brad Cieslak, it has become clear that the Bills have grown disenchanted with the 2005 third-round pick. We hear Everett's future with the team is iffy beyond this season.

(profootballweekly.com)

Bills TE Kevin Everett: Remember when we were told that Everett was going to become the downfield TE threat the Bills have lacked for years when he was drafted in the third round in 2005? After sitting out last year with a knee injury, Everett has one catch for one yard this year. He was dressed but did not play Sunday because unheralded Brad Cieslak has supplanted him as the No. 2 TE. Cieslak had three catches for 25 yards.

(democratandchronicle.com)

Kevin Everett easily beat Robert Royal and Craig Nall in a good-natured 30-yard foot race after Wednesday's practice. However, the result was disputed. Royal claimed he was so far ahead at the 10-yard mark that he pulled up.

"When we lined up, I shot out of the blocks and I was 6 yards in front of him," Royal said. "I shut it down. I had to."
(buffalonews.com)

• The tight end has been re-discovered: This position really does exist on the Bills' roster. Free agent pickup Robert Royal is known for his run-blocking ability but is a better receiver than the Bills anticipated. Kevin Everett, whose rookie year was ruined by a knee injury, bounced back from a quiet offseason to have a very good camp as a receiver and blocker. Second-year pro Brad Cieslak and versatile veteran Ryan Neufeld have shown the ability to do both as well.
(buffalonews.com)