JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — DaVon Hamilton was unable to sleep due to severe back pain.
On August 17, 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars training staff brought a pool lounge chair into his hotel room in Detroit because he could not lie flat.
After two joint practices with the Lions, one of which he missed, Hamilton’s pain intensified. By the time of the preseason game against the Lions, it took him nearly 90 minutes to pack his suitcase, and trainers had to help him onto the bus.
Unable to play, Hamilton spent the game in the locker room, enduring pain that had escalated despite treatment for similar issues since before training camp.
That night, as his legs went numb and he struggled to stand after the team flight, the 6-foot-4, 335-pound athlete felt fear for the first time in his career.
«I need help to walk, period,» Hamilton told ESPN. «I had two or three people helping me. The medical staff said, ‘We need to get you to the hospital now.’
If they had delayed, Hamilton could have faced paralysis due to a growing infection.
«I’ve never been more — I don’t want to use the word scared,» said Jaguars team physician Kevin Kaplan, who later shared Hamilton’s case at the 2025 NFL combine. «The way it unfolded, it was a scary situation.»
Nearly three years later, Hamilton is coming off one of his best seasons since being drafted from Ohio State in 2020 and is ready to share his experience to help others.
«I had a lot of time to reflect,» Hamilton said. «I spent a lot of time with God, understanding that this is no random event, but something that I can learn from and inspire others with.»
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