Jordan Hicks knew what happened before the doctors told him. He dropped to the ground on the second play of an Oct. 23, 2017 game against Washington, already realizing the sharp pain in his heel meant the Achilles tendon in his right leg had ruptured.
Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary of the injury, which occurred in Week 7. Hicks hasn't planned a celebration. He played Sunday against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7 of this season as an integral part of the defense.
After the game he returned home to his 7-week-old son, Ayven. He has a Super Bowl ring _ one won while he hobbled on the sideline instead of on the field _ and a prominent role in a budding wealth-management firm headquartered in Philadelphia. He didn't have any of those when he lay injured on the turf. It created a juxtaposition for Hicks, with his professional career rattled by a devastating injury while his personal life blossomed in a way he never experienced. It's been only one year, and he shakes his head thinking about what it entailed.
"How would I describe the past year?" Hicks said. "It's been one heck of a freakin' ride."
