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From espn.com
Hope he recovers, spinal cord injuries are always scary.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Kevin Everett was in a hospital under observation for a cervical spinal injury after the Buffalo Bills tight end was knocked cold and taken off the field in an ambulance Sunday.
Coach <Censored> Jauron provided no further update on Everett's status following the Bills 15-14 season-opening loss to Denver. And Jauron wouldn't say whether the player regained consciousness on the field or en route to the hospital.
Everett fell immediately to the ground and showed no signs of consciousness after a helmet-to-helmet hit when he tackled Denver's Domenik Hixon during a kickoff to open the second half. Everett was placed on a backboard with his head and body immobilized, and carefully loaded into an ambulance at the Broncos 30.
The game was delayed for about 15 minutes, and the Bills gathered at the sideline while doctors attended to the player.
Everett's injury was the most severe, but far from the only one sustained by Bills players during the game.
Starting free safety Ko Simpson is out indefinitely after breaking his left ankle. Starting cornerback Jason Webster is out indefinitely after breaking his forearm in the fourth quarter. And then there's linebacker Coy Wire, filling in for injured starter Keith Ellison, who sprained his knee in the first quarter.
Simpson was hurt when he had his feet cut out from beneath him by teammate Jason Webster as the two were attempting to tackle Broncos receiver Javon Walker. Simpson fell immediately to the ground and was unable to put any weight on his left foot.
Team trainers were forced to lift the player onto the cart and he was taken for X-rays.
Buffalo's fourth-round pick in the 2006 draft, Simpson started 15 games last season, and was a member of the NFL's youngest safety tandem, playing alongside rookie first-round pick Donte Whitner.
Third-year player Jim Leonhard took over for Simpson.
Wire was examined on the sideline, but made his way to the locker room on his own. Reserve Mario Haggan replaced Wire.
It's unclear when Webster was hurt. The Bills had signed the seven-year NFL veteran last spring to take over as starter after losing Nate Clements to San Francisco in free agency.
The injuries were the latest blows to an already banged-up and young defense that was starting four players with less than two years of NFL experience. Buffalo also lacks experienced reserves at defensive end, with Ryan Denney out indefinitely with a broken left foot and Anthony Hargrove suspended for the first four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy.