One year to the day after suffering a serious neck injury in the Seahawks' 2015 win over the Dallas Cowboys, a setback that forced him to retire from football, former Seattle receiver Ricardo Lockette was on site at a local hospital to help launch the Seattle Science Foundation’s Spinal Cord Injury Research.
Joined by fellow Seattle alumni like Marshawn Lynch, Sidney Rice, and Marcus Trufant, as well as current Seahawks Doug Baldwin, Justin Britt, Jermaine Kearse, Tyler Lockett, Mike Morgan, Steven Terrell, K.J. Wright, and head coach Pete Carroll, Lockette kicked off the organization's efforts to raise awareness for spinal cord injuries, something Lockette spoke about during a GeekWire event last month.
"A year ago today, I was laying in a bed not knowing if I would ever walk again and not knowing if this was my last day," Lockette told Q13 FOX on Tuesday night. "Now that I can't help them on the field anymore, it's my turn to help the 12th Man."
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Lockette has said the group's goal is to produce the first 3D mapping of the human spinal cord to give medical professionals a better understanding "to one day make the wheelchair a thing of the past" for paralyzed patients hoping to walk again.
"We can do this, actually," Dr. Jens Chapman said to Q13 FOX. "We can leapfrog what other labs have worked on and really make an immediate impact on patients."
Since retiring from football, Lockette has said he would also pledge his time to combating issues like homelessness and domestic violence.
"You can overcome adversity," Lockette said. "Anything is possible if you have a great support system and if you have a positive mind, the world is yours."
