Dolphins' Norton discharged from hospital after losing arm
Two weeks after a car accident led to him losing his left arm, Dolphins defensive tackle Kendrick Norton walked out of a Miami hospital Thursday afternoon after being discharged, offering his gratitude after his life-changing amputation.
The 22-year-old Norton, who underwent six surgeries since his July 4 wreck, spoke on camera briefly from the parking lot at Jackson Memorial Hospital and thanked his numerous supporters through the ordeal.
"I just want to give a big thank you first of all to God for me still being here," Norton said. "Second of all to Jackson Medical Center. They did a great job. They took great care of me while I was in here.
"Next, I want to thank the Miami Dolphins family. They've been crazy with how much help they've been willing to give and, you know, they really didn't have to. ... Everyone's been showing so much support and so much love. I really appreciate it. ... They've been a big part of me being able to even be out this early."
Norton, who played at the University of Miami, said that several Dolphins teammates and coaches came to see him in the hospital often, and cited first-year head coach Brian Flores as a daily guest to his hospital room since the career-ending accident.
Norton spent most of the 2018 season on the Panthers' practice squad after Carolina selected him in the seventh round of the 2018 draft. The Dolphins signed him in December.
NFL officials have said league and team insurance will cover his medical bills.
Norton was cited with making an improper lane change, per a Florida Highway Patrol report. He suddenly pulled his F-250 truck in front of a Maserati and clipped it, sending his car into a concrete barrier. The other driver was not injured, and the report said drugs or alcohol were not believed to be a factor.
--Field Level Media
