[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 26941]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             KEVIN EVERETT

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 9, 2007

  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, southeast Texas has a rich and proud 
tradition when it comes to football. There have been numerous State 
championships won from the neighboring high school teams who play to 
capacity crowds on Friday night. The area has produced superstars that 
have gone on to Hall of Fame careers in both the college and 
professional game. But for all the championships and awards, the 
greatest victory a southeast Texan has achieved might be against a 
doctor's prognosis
  Kevin Everett was an All State tight end at Port Arthur's Thomas 
Jefferson High School. He moved on to Kilgore Junior College, where he 
twice received first-team All-Southwest Conference honors. Due to his 
exceptional speed and size, he was rated the second-best junior college 
player in the Nation. He then transferred to college football national 
powerhouse the University of Miami. After 2 solid years as a Hurricane, 
he was selected 86th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Buffalo 
Bills.
  Despite being so far away from home, Kevin Everett had a mountain of 
support from his hometown fans. He never could have imagined how much 
he would need that support until September 9 of this year. Kevin's 
Bills were playing in week 1 when he went to make a tackle and went 
down with a severe spinal injury. Doctors originally believed that 
Kevin would sustain permanent neurological damage and used words like 
``bleak'' and ``dismal'' to describe his chances of walking again. 
Then, only 2 short days later, Kevin was voluntarily moving his arms 
and legs. Over the next few weeks, Kevin made vast improvements in his 
physical condition, leading doctors to believe that he will eventually 
walk again and possibly make a full recovery.
  Kevin is now home in Houston with his family, beginning a long 
rehabilitation period. The grim prognosis once given to him is now but 
a distant memory. Thanks to his positive attitude, mental toughness, 
and motivation to work hard, Kevin has shown that anything is possible. 
He has earned his place amongst other southeast Texas football greats 
and always be remembered as a champion of the human spirit.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________