MIAMI – Kendrick Norton, a former University of Miami Hurricanes player who now plays for the Miami Dolphins, was recovering from surgery Tuesday at Jackson Memorial Hospital after he was injured in a late-night car crash on the Fourth of July.
It has only been five days since the 22-year-old athlete lost his left arm in a crash in Miami-Dade County. Although the NFL announced they will be covering his medical costs, there is fear about his financial future.
There was a sign that he remains positive. The defensive tackle used his right arm to share a public thumbs-up message on social media from his hospital bed: "I'm good thank you to everyone that checked on me!!! Im' goood thanks for the prayers to God be the glory."
Norton was driving a Ford F-250 westbound on the Dolphin Expressway about 1:15 a.m. The vehicle slammed into a concrete barrier wall, overturned and landed on its roof, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. A 30-year-old woman who was driving a Masserati was also involved in the crash.
Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Alex Camacho said Norton suffered "severe injuries to his left arm." Norton's agent, Malki Kawa, said Norton's arm had to be amputated. Norton's girlfriend was also injured in the crash and is expected to make a full recovery, Kawa said.
While he played in 38 games for the Hurricanes from 2015-17, he recorded 84 total tackles, including 18 for loss and five sacks. He was a seventh-round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers last year, and although he signed with the Miami Dolphins in December he hadn't played in a game yet.
Since his career as a defensive tackle is over, his manager is asking fans to contribute to his GoFundMe account.
FHP is still investigating the cause of the crash.