The Pontiac Silverdome witnessed two memorable incidents in the final game of the 1997 regular season. There were great sounds and cheers for a career milestone achievement as well as a chilling atmosphere of cries and prayers amidst a career-ending injury. While Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders accomplished the 2,000-yard milestone in his career, fellow teammate and linebacker Reggie Brown suffered one of the scariest injuries in the NFL. 

After a tackle during a game, Reggie Brown suffered a scary injury that led many people to believe that the worst had happened. It was 1997 and the Lions were playing against the New York Jets when Brown fell and stopped moving. 

Reggie Brown suffered one of the NFL’s scariest injuries

The Silverdome was packed with hopeful fans as they roared with excitement as the Lions led against the Jets with a 13-10 lead. But amidst the celebration and achievement of Barry Sanders achieving his 2,000-yard rushing mark, Reggie Brown suffered a career-ending spinal injury when he fell backward on his neck during a tackle. Many former Lions players have posed their views on the injury of Reggie Brown in one of their most prominent games, including Bill Belichick and Barry Sanders himself on Bye Bye Barry. “Reggie Brown’s situation” was so serious that “they had to do CPR right on the field to revive him.” 

The atmosphere became tense as the linebacker lay motionless on the field without breathing while players huddled over the scene. One of the former Lions legends Herman Moore stated, “This was a life and death situation that was occurring and unfolding right in front of us.” Although the injury put an end to Brown’s two-season football career, the 49-year-old continues to live a happy life with his family. Barry Sanders went on to say the situation brought back memories of Mike Utley. 

Barry Sanders feared Reggie Brown would meet Mike Utley’s fate

A former Detroit Lions guard, Mike Utley played with the Lions from 1989 through 1991 before he left the game due to paralysis. In his first season, he was injured during a game against the Minnesota Vikings and had to sit out for the rest of the season. 

READ MORE: ‘Bye Bye Barry’ Immortalizes Barry Sanders’ Debut When He Turned Silverdome’s Silence Into 40,000 Enthusiastic Cheers

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In his second year, he fractured two ribs and was sidelined for the first three regular season games. But again, he dislocated his shoulder in the sixth game and had to sit out. In 1991, his career came to an end after a sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae injury that left him paralyzed. Currently, Mike Utley has a rehabilitation at Craig Hospital, an institution that specializes in spinal cord injuries. 

As far as injuries go in football, the case of Mike Utley and Reggie Brown could be deemed one of the scariest incidents. And it’s unhinging that both of them played for the Detroit Lions when it happened. Do these injuries have anything to do with Barry Sanders leaving the Lions? Will Bye Bye Barry answer all the questions that are bugging the minds of curious fans?

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