Has Any NFL Player Been Paralyzed

The National Football League (NFL) has seen several players becoming paralyzed due to injuries sustained during games. One of the most notable cases is that of Mike Utley, a guard for the Detroit Lions. During a game in 1991, Utley hit his head on the artificial turf, breaking his 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae and resulting in paralysis from the chest down. Despite his condition, he could move his arms and even flashed a thumbs-up gesture to the crowd while on the ground.

Another case involved Eric LeGrand, who was paralyzed after making a tackle for Rutgers University in 2010. His story has been an inspiration to many due to his passion for life and his big heart.

In 2007, Kevin Everett, a player for the Buffalo Bills, suffered a spinal cord injury on the field, which resulted in paralysis. He was treated at TIRR Memorial Hermann following the incident.

More recently, Wolfe, a Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos, revealed that he was temporarily paralyzed "from the nose down" during a preseason game 2013.

Reggie Brown, a former Detroit Lions linebacker, also suffered a severe spinal cord injury in 1997 that left him motionless on the field for 17 minutes. He had to be given CPR on the area after briefly losing consciousness.

Darryl Stingley, a wide receiver set to become one of the highest-paid players in the NFL in 1978, was paralyzed after a brutal hit during a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. The blow compressed his fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae, leaving him a person with quadriplegia.

These incidents highlight the risks associated with the sport and have led to an increased focus on player safety and injury prevention in the NFL.