In a dramatic retelling of the scariest moment of the Seahawks season, WR Ricardo Lockette posted a video saying that he would have died in Dallas after his collision with a Cowboys blocker had not the trainers and medical personnel handled his severe neck injury flawlessly.
Lockette was covering a punt return in Seattle’s 13-12 victory over the Cowboys Nov. 1. He was hit by Cowboys safety Jeff Heath, then lay motionless on the field before he was carted off. He had a concussion, along with disk and ligament damage in his neck. He underwent successful surgery. He continues to wear a neck brace and faces a long road to recovery.
Lockette recently visited firefighters and paramedics at a fire station on Redmond and posted the video of the conversation on Facebook.
“I didn’t really realize how serious it was until it was over,” he said. “The doctor told me . . . all the muscles, all the ligaments that connect my vertebrae, and the cartilage between that . . .the cartilage is out, ligaments are torn. He said if I would have stood up then, the weight of my head — left, right, front, back — I would have died.
“If one of my teammates would have came over and pulled my arm, just barely, I might have died. Or if the returner had broken a couple tackles and fell on me, I would have died on that field.
“But what saved my life is the trainers and the work that you guys do. The trainers came over, and they did it perfectly, perfectly by the book. The way that they held my neck, all the training is what saved my life. If they would have went too far to the left or moved me without stabilizing this or that, then I would have been dead.
I thank God that I’m here. I thank you guys for the work that you do. And if there’s anything that I can do to help you save another life or whatever it takes — me, my teammates, my family or your workers. I appreciate the opportunity and hopefully I can help you guys. ”
Lockette said after his return to the Clink Nov. 15 against Arizona to cheer on his team, that it was his intent was to rehab after the surgery and return to his career.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2215979 https://sportspressnw.wpengine.com/?p=2215979">10 Comments
Can he come back? I remember when Paul Johns got blasted on a similar his also returning a punt. His career was over at that point. Ricardo’s his was so hard I don’t know if he should resume playing.
His career is over, don’t see any scenario with him coming back.
I’m not a doctor and neither is James, but the risk to a layman seems ridiculous.
This is why I never begrudge a player for holding out (your career can end in an instance, no reason to settle). As for player greed, are owners the only one’s allowed to be greedy in this world? At last check, there’s a salary cap (the very antithesis of capitalism) and it’s not like players like Kam Chancellor are asking taxpayers to pay for their house.
I’m sympathetic, too, to player holdouts. But within the defined limits of contracts as agreed upon by owners and the union, Kam had no leverage, no chance to win. If you want to fix blame, look at the union’s negotiations. I realize its the club’s discretion regarding a new deal after one year of four year deal, but every club is looking to each other to hold the line.
And yes, the cap would be socialism, except it was collecitively bargained.
Kam took a gamble by holding out and he lost but that’s life, you take gambles. If clubs want to hold the line, fair enough.
Very salient points–thanks. 1) Teammates, if a man is down, LEAVE him down. No macho buddy help him up, high 5 type of stuff. Leave him alone. 2)It is sheer folly an insanity if he ever puts a helmet on again. Hope fully his family/friends/advisers see to that. 3)the NFL needs to slow the game down. They need to figure it out. There are many ways this can be done.
I don’t know to limit the hits such as Lockette took, except to eliminate the punt return, which I suppose is possible.
or just stop playing football.
He’s been making the league minimum since he’s been in the league, I believe. I hope he’s rewarded financially by the league if he can’t play again (and there’s not a chance I’d step on the field again after almost dying).