Adrian Colbert’s Story in ‘Hard Knocks’ Touches Your Heart: ‘I’m Grateful to Be Alive’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Bears safety Adrian Colbert is a down-to-earth person.
He uses singing bowls to purify the energy around him. He walks barefoot in training camp to be more grounded and receive energy from nature. There is no doubt that he is intact with his spiritual side.
But that did not happen without a terrifying incident from his childhood, which still stirs emotions in him.
“It was Sunday. I had a (football) game that morning. I still had my pads on,” Colbert said on ‘Hard Knocks.’ “I wanted to ride my bike, wanted to race. We were racing; me and my classmate. I didn’t stop at the stop sign. And this lady, she was rushing to work, going about 55 (mph). I got caught off guard and got hit. Yeah, I got hit.
“I almost lost my life that day.”
According to a newspaper shown during the episode, Colbert had swelling on his brain and a broken seventh vertebra. He was unconscious in the hospital for a week with a broken nose and a broken collarbone. He was in a coma for two weeks. The doctor said he would never play football again.
Of course, he played football again. He played four years at Miami University in Florida. There, Colbert played in 40 games between 2013 and 2016, good for 49 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and four passes defensed.
The 49ers drafted him in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft. They would be the first of 10 teams Colbert would play for over the next eight years. He has played with the 49ers, Seahawks, Dolphins, Chiefs, Giants, Patriots, Jets, Browns, Titans and now the Bears.
“Adrian just needs every rep he can get to make the team,” GM Ryan Poles said on the show. “To make the 53-man roster, he’s going to have to perform on special teams. We’ve been together for a while, so he’s someone I always root for.”
Colbert did not make the Bears’ 53-man roster. And of the 14 officially filled practice squad spots, Colbert has not earned a single one.
He did, however, impress during the preseason. In his game against the Chiefs, he came out of nowhere to defend a pass that likely would have been a touchdown. He later gave quarterback Chris Oladokun a hard hit, who then threw an interception to Reddy Steward.
Colbert is the definition of a craftsman. He’s still looking for a place where he can play permanently. But the budget cuts and his traumatic childhood injury won’t stop him from pursuing that dream. And they certainly won’t detract from his gratitude for being on earth.
“It was a tough journey back. But it didn’t stop me. It didn’t stop my goals,” Colbert said. “After that, I just went back to living my normal life, playing soccer in the streets and riding my bike. I go outside and I’m thankful for the leaves, thankful for the trees, thankful for every blade of grass.
“I’m grateful to be alive. I’m grateful for this experience of being in the NFL and being around the people that I meet every day.”
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