From a broken neck to one of the NFL’s best receivers, DK Metcalf has made waves with his ‘eclectic’ playing style

DK Metcalf’s football career looked like it might have been over before it really began when he suffered a serious neck injury in college.

DK Metcalf’s football career looked like it might have been over before it really began. On October 13, 2018, Metcalf was tackled while returning a kickoff for Ole Miss against Alabama. He left the game with an injury which, after scans, was revealed to be a broken vertebrae in his neck. The then-21-year-old was ruled out for the remainder of the season, and a doctor told him at the time that he’d never play football again. But remarkably, Metcalf made a full recovery, declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft in which he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the final pick of the second round. Since then, he has developed into one of the best wide receivers in the league, with his physical nature and ability to make tough catches presenting a unique challenge for opposing defenders. When asked how he’d describe his playing style, Metcalf told CNN Sport’s Coy Wire: “Eclectic. I like that word.”