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Detroit Lions defensive back Saivion Smith left after just two plays against the New England Patriots in Week 5. He suffered a scary-looking neck injury and even had to be taken away in an ambulance.
Thankfully, Smith was cleared to fly back with the Lions following their game that day. He is able to walk and enjoy life. The 24-year-old Tampa native avoided a more permanent injury.
Now, Smith has rejoined the Lions. He will undergo neck fusion surgery on November 8. And on Wednesday, he detailed his experience during that day for the first time publicly.
Scarily enough, the Lions defensive back revealed that, for around 20 seconds, he couldn't move. “I could see everything, I could hear everything, I saw my teammates on the sideline,” Smith said. “I saw everybody, but I just couldn’t move, couldn’t do nothing for like 20 seconds.”
Understandably, Smith said those 20 seconds were the scariest of his life. “I couldn’t even think about, you feel me, nothing except for like, ‘Damn, am I ever going to be able to play again and can I walk again and talk again?'” Smith said Wednesday. “All this (expletive), and all that was going through my head within like 20 seconds. But I feel fine now, so thank God.”
The Lions defensive back told the media he wanted to return to the field despite the injury. Even on the way to the hospital, he wanted nothing more than to get back on the field.
For now, he faces a five-month recovery following his upcoming surgery. But Smith is hopeful to return to the Lions next season and make an impact.
“It’s just part of football,” he said. “That could have happened any play, anytime to anybody. That could have happened to the average Joe that works at McDonald’s, if he slip and fell. So I feel like it’s part of the game, it’s part of life, so do nothing but get the surgery and rehab and get better.”
