NFL players put their bodies on the line when they hit the gridiron. Former NFL Defensive Lineman said there was a time when he couldn’t move during a game. Derek Wolfe shared the news about his scary experience on the Joe Rogan Show.
In 2013 Wolfe was paralyzed for three hours during a game and couldn’t move his body. Wolfe said,” I was just stuck in the ground. It was like I was melted. ” Wolfe played two weeks later. Twelve weeks later Wolfe had a seizure and was in a coma for 36 hours.
Each week football fans see players who are knocked out. Fans also see players who get hit hard and lie on the football field.
Wolfe said being paralyzed was a miserable experience. Wolfe said, “Every time I would get touched my arms would go numb and I’m a defensive lineman so my head’s getting hit every play.” Wolfe said he wasn’t getting fresh blood to his brain because he had a bruise on the base of his brain stem.
Doctors wanted Wolfe to stay at a hospital for evaluation. However, Bronco’s doctors said,” You’re good, we can go on the team plane back to Denver.”
Wolfe’s story shows how scary it is to play in the NFL. Players are risking a lot playing the game they love. The risk-reward factor is significant and should be documented.
After the experience, Wolfe realized how the NFL perceives its players. Wolfe said that’s when I realized they don’t care about us. If Wolfe showed signs of improvement the Broncos would have him finish the game.
Last season, Bill’s Safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field. The NFL would have had Hamlin play if we cleared. The NFL was talking about resuming the game. Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott made the decision to cancel the game and made sure Hamlin was taken care of.
Wolfe played in 122 games. Wolfe recorded 34 sacks, 225 tackles, and forced a fumble.