Former Semmes Murphey Patient, DK Metcalf, inspires on and off the field

Today we highlight the inspirational story of former Semmes Murphey patient, DK Metcalf. Born in Oxford, Mississippi, DK showed promise as a football star since little league. During his high school football career, he had 224 receptions for 3,302 yards and 49 touchdowns. DK went on to play college football for Ole Miss. With 67 receptions for 1,228 yards and 14 touchdowns, DK was a top NFL prospect during his sophomore year. That was until he suffered a neck injury on a play. DK was rushed to the hospital, where he was told by doctors and nurses his football career had ended. After a week of grim answers and DK gripping with the loss of his dreams, he came for a second opinion from Semmes Murphey's Dr. Kevin Foley.

"This was such a tragic situation. There were some saying that his career was completely over. To be so young and in your prime and to suffer such an injury is truly devastating. I really felt for DK and the physical and mental distress he was dealing with. I was eager to do what I could to help him."-Dr. Foley was committed to repairing DK's neck injury so he could go on to pursue his NFL dreams. And after Dr. Foley did just that, DK went on to set rookie records in his first year with the Seattle Seahawks. He would go on to describe Dr. Foley's procedure and his recovery as a "miracle."

"It is great to see him excelling in his career now. He did a lot of hard work to get back to where he is now. I hope people can be inspired by the journey he took from that devastating injury to being back on the field. A serious injury doesn't have to be the end of your story." - Dr. Foley on behalf of the entire Semmes Murphey team. We applaud DK's achievements as a Black athlete and thank him for the role he allowed us to play in his story.

His fantastic recovery is just one of many reasons why DK is an inspiration. DK has used his success to promote good in the world. Last year he donated tens of thousands of dollars to causes such as COVID-19 research, feeding vulnerable residents of his hometown, and Prison Fellowship ( a justice-reform advocacy group that helps prisoners, former prisoners, and their families)

We look forward to continuing to celebrate DK's success on and off the field.