During Week 1 of the NFL season, Bills tight end Kevin Everett suffered a severe spinal cord injury on a kickoff collision with Broncos receiver Domenik Hixon. Thanks to hard work in rehabilitation, brilliant doctors and modern medicine, Everett is now walking. And thanks to a quirk in the schedule and Hixon being released by the Broncos and signed by the Giants, when Everett walked into Ralph Wilson Stadium yesterday, Hixon was in the building.
After the game, Hixon was escorted to a private box, where he met Everett for the first time.
"He looked great," said Hixon, who was signed by the Giants after being released by the Broncos in early October. "We just had some casual conversation. It was good. We talked about a little bit of everything.Hixon did nothing wrong on the play on which Everett was injured, but he says he has been haunted by feelings of guilt. Today, perhaps, Hixon can put those feelings behind him."I think it was a one of those things where we both wanted to meet each other. It was a happy day."
"I just wanted him to continue to get better," Hixon said. "He had enough to worry about. He didn't need to worry about me, too."
He had wanted to talk to Everett in the worst way the past three months, but he felt so badly about what had happened, and he didn't want to do anything that might upset Everett or interfere with his recovery.
