Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward is gearing up to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in a game that figures to have major playoff implications. It’ll be Ward’s first game since he collided with tight end Drew Ogletree during warmups before a game against the Arizona Cardinals on October 12.
Ward landed on injured reserve and has missed five games since the incident.
“It’s crazy,” Ward said Friday after clearing concussion protocol, per ESPN. “One moment, I’m going for the ball. Next moment, I’m knocked out, laying on my back and getting carted off the field in the wheelchair. So, it was crazy. Like I said, that’s a big boy. [Ogletree] is a real big boy. I didn’t see him coming. I feel like if I had my helmet on and it was like normal football, I would’ve been good. But it was just me not seeing him coming.”
Ward said that he was experiencing symptoms for nearly a month.
“I was getting dizzy for damn near a month,” he said. “That wasn’t normal. So, that was a real deal. A traumatic injury for me. A lot of emotions and everything like that. So, it was pretty tough. But I’m feeling good, though.”
The experience even left him questioning if he’d ever be able to play again.
“I was kind of doubting if I was going to play football again,” Ward said. “It was that scary… I was thinking about my life outside of football, too.”
Hopefully, technological advancements continue to reduce the number of head injuries in the league. For now, hopefully Ward and his colleagues in the NFL do their best to protect themselves.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.