Any game.
This is the ultimate NFL reality check. The next shootout on the football field could always be the last, an occupational hazard of a brutal, violent sport that can be pure entertainment for millions of viewers. Pure hell for players who are willing to risk their bodies for reasons that may include competition, fame, fortune and passion for the game.
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There’s another side to that reality, with the Detroit Lions facing a looming game at Miami on Sunday, while Jack Campbell continues to recover from a neck injury that provided some of the most sobering images from the NFL last weekend: the all-around pro linebacker limped to the turf after a seemingly routine play, then backed up to take the field.
Go to the next play.
This is another occupational challenge, certainly mental among all physical forces. Not surprisingly, the Lions’ resources at team headquarters include, as always, advisors. Campbell, 26, went to work at Ford Field and wound up at Henry Ford Hospital a few miles away, and his teammates, some in tears as paramedics tended to him, must be able to get through any trauma.
“It’s a balancing act,” Lions coach Dan Campbell told reporters Wednesday. “You’re human. And you know it, you want to admit it. It’s a lot, but if it’s that hard and that’s where your mind is, it’s not good for you to be in this game. And that’s where you get hurt.”
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In Jack Campbell’s first public comments since suffering an injury on Wednesday, the update from the respected team’s captain was encouraging. In an extensive statement released by the team that previously provided few details about his condition, Campbell said he has full movement in his lower body and continues to progress with movement in his upper body.
Campbell suffered the injury on the first play of the fourth quarter when he and rookie defensive end Eric O’Neill tackled Vikings tight end TJ Hockenson in an open field tackle. As suggested for proper techniques, Campbell played with his head up as he collided with Hokenson’s hip area as he reached to close the tight end’s legs.
Although the specifics that caused the injury from a medical perspective have not been made public, Campbell’s description of his progress confirmed that he was not paralyzed, and that the worst fears of neck injuries did not exist. The sight of Campbell lying motionless Sunday was eerily reminiscent of the injury suffered by Lions guard Mike Utley in 1991, who was paralyzed from the chest down after a collision during a seemingly routine scrimmage.
There have been many other instances over the years from across the football landscape where catastrophic injuries have changed the course of a life in an instant.
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That’s why, no matter what team you root for, what fantasy team lineup you play, or what game you bet on, there’s humanity in the mix. We must never lose sight of this. And some have paid dearly for being in the wrong position at the wrong place or the wrong time in some cases.
One such case involved Reggie Brown, another former Lions player whose career as an NFL quarterback ended in 1997 due to a spinal injury in the final game of the season.
“I’ve had days where I can go to dark corners in my mind,” Brown, 52, told USA TODAY Sports’ Josh Peter on Monday. “But I have my wife, my kids, some real positive things. You just have to go through those emotions and look for the things that I’m still grateful for.”
Campbell, who with his wife Megan gave birth to their first child in July, also expressed his belief in this statement and asked for continued prayers.
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Thank God.
“One thing I’ve learned about Detroit is that this city is built on resilience, resilience and resilience,” Campbell said, without specifically addressing its football future. “That’s exactly how I intend to approach this challenge.”
Amen.
His coach’s warning about the prospect of playing 11 seasons in the NFL was very similar to what he said after the Lions’ victory in Dallas just over two years ago.
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I was struck by how some players, echoing the coach, explained how despite the sadness of losing their best players, they had to stay focused as a matter of survival after a game like Sunday was delayed by more than 10 minutes. That kind of thinking comes with NFL training.
Unfortunately, they get a lot of experience with it. However, they are also very human.
Star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown shared on his podcast that he immediately thought of Campbell’s wife and newborn son when he set up the scary scene on Sunday. It was a compassionate response.
He knows. Despite all that his job and sport has to offer, health is never assured with another NFL reality check one game away.
Follow Bell on X: @JarrettBell
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lion LB Jack Campbell’s update was encouraging. His injury was sober | Opinion