Miami Dolphin defensive end Kendrick Norton is happy to be alive after having a horrible car accident on a highway in South Florida, then losing his left arm.
On July 4, the 22-year-old’s Ford truck sideswiped a Maserati and ran into a concrete barrier afterward.
Norton spoke about the accident for the first time during an interview with CBS Miami that was published on Thursday, and he said all of the help from people is helping him pull through.
“I am staying strong because all of the support from all of the fans, all of the teams, my family and everyone,” he said from Florida’s Jackson Memorial Hospital. “That is what is pushing me, my faith and the support from my family, my grandparents, my sports agent. Everyone is going above and beyond with nothing in return. Just to see people who have been supporting me is just great.”
TMZ reports that no one in the Maserati was injured during the accident, and Norton was cited for making an improper lane change, as well as cutting off another vehicle. The NFL and the Dolphins are paying for his medical expenses through insurance.
There’s also a GoFundMe page set up for the former University of Miami player that has a $150,000 goal to handle other expenses. And even though Norton’s days as an NFL player are behind him — the 2018 seventh-round draft pick had never played in an NFL game — he’s still incredibly thankful.
“I am alive,” he stated. “One thing keeps me going and that is that I am still able to be here. Seeing my family is so important. It is very good that I have this support system. It keeps me strong and it keeps me tall.”
“But I realize that I will not be able to play for anyone,” Norton added. “We are working past that, you know. That reality is sinking in. I am alive and I am grateful. Now I want to organize a blood drive.”
“If you have something in the glass, you are OK,” he continued. “A lot of people have glasses with not much in them or glasses that are empty. So if your glass is half full, you are OK.”