SAN JOSE, Calif. — There was a time when Carolina Panthers safety Kurt Coleman wasn’t sure if he should — or even could — play football again. In April 2006, one freak accident in an intrasquad scrimmage at Ohio State forever changed the lives of Coleman and Buckeyes teammate Tyson Gentry. Coleman, a freshman defensive back looking to make an impression on the Ohio State coaching staff, charged up from his position to put a hard, but legal, hit on Gentry while running a dig route. He jarred the ball loose and the defense picked it up and scored. Coleman celebrated what he thought was a terrific play. That is, until a few seconds later when he noticed something horrible had happened. Gentry not getting up. “It was like my body disappeared from me,” Gentry said. “Horrifying,” Coleman said. “I thought I made a really big play, and you look back and he’s not moving. You go from the top of the world to the absolute bottom.” Gentry, a converted punter, couldn’t feel anything below his neck. …
Continue Reading: After Football Tragedy, Two Lives Change, And Friendship Grows
