Former Buffalo Bills Matt Stevens has passed away

[Beast]

https://www.walkersfuneralservice.com/obituaries/matthew-stevens?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3rgnX1xbL0kI0ii6yUDW5U1BuSmu-KGekLFLQgTxwB4xHlO8U7yJ_oA_I_aem_OLtTIxp33UzlCeUyoT86oQ
 

Obituary included.

 

 

[Dave_Bills]

RIP Matt. Too young

[Let's Go Buffalo]

Wow, that's way too young, and sad news for sure. Thoughts and prayers for his family! R.I.P. Mr. Stevens

[BillsFanForever19]

He was paralyzed in a Motorcycle Accident in 2007. Tough life. I was a kid getting Autographs in Fredonia when we Drafted him. He was a really nice guy. Sad.

[Mikie2times]

5 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

He was paralyzed in a Motorcycle Accident in 2007. Tough life. I was a kid getting Autographs in Fredonia when we Drafted him. He was a really nice guy. Sad.

Had a really impressive career. I had no idea he played that long. 

[MJS]

56 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

He was paralyzed in a Motorcycle Accident in 2007. Tough life. I was a kid getting Autographs in Fredonia when we Drafted him. He was a really nice guy. Sad.

Gosh, that is terrible. Obviously being paralyzed is terrible for anyone, but to be so physically gifted to be able to play pro sports and then to lose your physical abilities like that. I'm sure that was really hard to deal with. RIP.

[Sierra Foothills]

4 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

Had a really impressive career. I had no idea he played that long. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Stevens_(safety)

• Drafted by the Bills in the 3rd round
• 8 year NFL career
• played for 5 teams
• 42 games started
• won a Super Bowl with New England in 2001
• last played for Houston in 2003
• paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle accident in 2007
• by 2011 had regained the ability to move through the use of special leg brace support

From archives:

 

 

"Former Houston Texans safety Matt Stevens remains bound to a wheelchair after a motorcycle accident three years ago where he broke his spinal cord.

He is paralyzed from below his torso, and doctors have told Stevens he'll never walk again.

"I can move my arms, my chest, my upper back and my head and that's it," Stevens told the Texans' official Web site. "So there's no chance of me walking, feeling, moving again, unless science comes up with some major new breakthrough. ..

"I have a girl who loves me and I have two kids. The reason I subconsciously made it through the accident when I was in a coma is due to my kids."

Stevens said he maintains a positive attitude despite the challenges he faces.

"It's very hard for me to get around," he said. "I can drive with hand controls. I have basically, on average, two doctors appointments per week, and they assess my progress. Whatever I can do, I'm trying to do at the gym just to try to keep my strength up."

Per the report, Stevens remains in touch with several NFL players, including Mike Vrabel, Larry Izzo and Brian Dawkins.

"I talked to Seth (Payne) not too long ago," Stevens said. "Actually, Jamie Sharper visited me in the hospital when I was there. Troy Evans, Aaron Glenn, Jason Bell, Marcus Coleman - I've talked to all of them. They all try to give me the positive attitude to keep your lip up when it's kind of hard to keep your lip up when you can't do anything. It's just a day-by-day fight. It's what it is."

 

[Snappysnackcakes]

So sad. He graduated high school with my wife. She said he was a quiet, unassuming kid. 

[May Day 10]

I remember him, vaguely.  Had long hair and seemed a bit lanky for that position.  

 

Looked it up and cant believe it was 1996.  Would have pegged him as early drought years

[HOUSE]

RIP Big guy

[boyst]

Rip

 

Former colleague was a teammate and the other safety of his at App. and remained friends after the motorcycle crash, addiction, and more.

 

Said the guy was always dealing with demons.

 

May he now find peace. 

Edited 15 hours ago by boyst

[BigPappaPump]

RIP brother. 

[Steve O]

RIP.

Here's a "where are they now" article from 2010. Actually when I look at the date it was from exactly 15 years ago. No cause of death in the obit but the motorcycle accident in 2007 likely had something to do with it, wheelchair bound since then.

https://www.houstontexans.com/news/where-are-they-now-matt-stevens-2658676

 

[Perk71]

RIP 🙏🏼

[RyanC883]

RIP.  Way too young.  

[Don Otreply]

🙏 

[The Jokeman]

Damn I remember when we drafted him thought we got an absolute steal as he was a great athlete but not as good as a player. RIP Matt. 

[BuffaloBill]

16 hours ago, Dave_Bills said:

RIP Matt. Too young

This^^^^

[Special K]

I remember there was a SNL sketch at the time called "Matt Stevers: Male Nurse".....I always thought that was going to be his "Chris Berman name" on NFL Primetime.......RIP.

 

[JohnNord]

That is a shame… I remember Stevens during his time in Buffalo.  If I recall he was a pretty good safety