Earlier this month, Michigan football player Jon Bills, his brother, his cousin and teammate Mark Moundros got into a serious car accident when their car hydroplaned into oncoming traffic. Bills suffered the most serious injuries of anyone involved in the accident, breaking his neck and pelvis. Luckily, though, Bills' recovery is going well and there's a chance he could return to the team at some point.
↵↵↵Bills broke his neck and his pelvis, is in a halo for 12 weeks and needs a walker to get around. And while he doesn’t remember a thing about the accident, or for that matter most of the next week, he told AnnArbor.com he’s healing fine and “very lucky.”
↵“I was about a half inch away on so many different parts from being paralyzed or possibly even dead,” Bills said. “I’m real lucky. I don’t want anyone to feel bad for me.”
↵
Bills' stay in the hospital lasted only five days, but he got a ton of visitors during that time, including strength coach Mike Barwis, who stopped by a day after the birth of his third child.
↵↵↵Jon was heavily sedated, barely cognizant of what was going on, when his father told him Barwis was in the room.
↵He reached out to shake Barwis’ hand, and Barwis asked Bills how he was feeling.
↵“He said, ‘I’m doing all right, but my back hurts. I have to stretch my hamstrings,’” Barwis said. “He’s still thinking about training when he’s out. And he’s right. A lot of times if you don’t stretch your hamstrings your back will get tight.
↵“I said this kid’s something. Heavily sedated, broken neck, broken back, broken pelvis and he’s telling me his back hurts because he hasn’t been stretching.”
↵
There is no guarantee that Bills will return to football since there could be a risk of further injury, but even if he doesn't get back on the field, he has plans to attend law school at U-M, so his future is definitely bright.