DaVon Hamilton nearly lost the ability to walk after a spinal epidural abscess caused severe spinal cord compression, the report says. The condition was discovered after the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive lineman developed debilitating back pain and later woke with numb legs, according to ESPN.
The symptoms began in Detroit on Aug. 17, 2023, when Hamilton could not lie flat and required a pool lounge chair in his hotel room, per the report. He sat out one of two joint practices with the Lions, spent the preseason game in the locker room and needed help from trainers to get off the team plane after his legs went numb. “I need help to walk, period,” Hamilton told ESPN.
Hamilton was taken to Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville, where Jaguars team physician Kevin Kaplan ordered tests including an MRI. Kaplan then contacted Bradley Wallace, the hospital’s chief of neurosurgery and one of the NFL’s unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants. The MRI showed a spinal epidural abscess with severe spinal cord compression, the report says.
The report explains that a spinal epidural abscess is an infection in the spinal canal that can fill the space with pus and put pressure on the spinal cord, causing pain, weakness and numbness and potentially permanent paralysis if not treated. The report cites the National Institutes of Health, which says the condition is rare in young, healthy people, more common in older patients and those with risk factors, and that early diagnosis is crucial. An NIH review referenced in the report identified intravenous drug use and diabetes as leading risk factor and comorbidity, respectively — neither of which applied to Hamilton — and placed morbidity at about 5 percent in the studies reviewed.
Wallace postponed a scheduled surgery and rushed Hamilton into the operating room for an early Sunday procedure, the report says. “This is a professional athlete. He cannot lift his legs off the bed,” Wallace said, adding that Hamilton “was almost paralyzed at this point.” Nearly three years later, the report says Hamilton is coming off arguably his best season since being drafted out of Ohio State in 2020 and is sharing his experience to help others; he said he spent time reflecting and leaned on his faith during recovery.
