On November 1, 2015, Ricardo Lockette was on the receiving end of a hard hit from the Cowboys' Jeff Heath on a special teams play that put an end to his NFL career and came dangerously close to ending his life. In a piece on The Players' Tribune that was published on Tuesday, Lockette recalls the moment that felt like "being in a car accident":
In the immediate aftermath of the hit, Lockette's mind raced with questions, with one of them being "Am I about to die?" As the 30-year-old laid on the AT&T Stadium field, he said, “Lord, just help me. I know that I’m here for a reason. If you help me off this ground, I’ll change lives.” In his piece, Lockette writes about how it was actually the second time he said those words in his life:
As if this day in Lockette's life couldn't be any worse, he also reveals that his daughter was in the crowd, celebrating her 10th birthday by watching her father play in person. Lockette writes about what it was like to have her come to visit him in the hospital after the game. He also credits Marshawn Lynch with helping him make it through his hospital visit by staying with him for his entire first night:
To read the rest of Lockette's heart-wrenching piece, which also details a very powerful meeting Lockette had with a homeless man after announcing his retirement from the NFL, go here.
Related Stories
5 Athletes Who Had Their Careers Ended By Injury
With the sad news that Yao Ming may be unable to play ball, we look back at five others who had their tenures curtailed.
The Scariest Injuries in Sports History
From Clint Malarchuk getting his jugular sliced to Kevin Ware's open fracture.
The 50 Most Bizarre Injuries in Sports History
From hurting themselves with an iPhone to July 4th fireworks mishaps, injuries don't get any stranger.
