Bills S Micah Hyde: 'I Thought I Was Done!' After Neck Injury

"There’s not too many opportunities left,” Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde said at training camp.

To start what ended up being a season full of unthinkable adversity for the organization, Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde went down with a serious neck injury in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans last year.

After undergoing season-ending surgery, the Bills were without one of their top players on defense, and the man himself wasn't sure he'd ever make it back to play with the teammates and secondary he'd gotten so close to.

But joined by his two young children at the podium Friday following Bills training camp practice, Hyde put everything into perspective and opened up about how tough the journey was to get back but also how grateful he is to be healthy again.

"When it first happened, I didn’t know what the outcome was going to be. I thought I was done," Hyde said. "But I had a conversation with the doctor a couple of weeks ago, and the realization that it’s way better."

It's hard to blame Hyde for having his doubt. Neck injuries at any age, let alone for a then-31-year-old defensive back, understandably clouds a player's NFL future.

It hurt even more when considering Buffalo's championship aspirations of last season and that Hyde had been coming off a year that saw him earn Second Team All-Pro honors while tying his career-high mark of five interceptions.

No reason to cry over it now. He's blessed to be back, but also understands that there's no time to waste when it comes to both him and his teammates.

“I think the older guys understand that you gotta get it, gotta get it now," Hyde said. "There’s not too many opportunities left,” Hyde said.

Knowing that there's far from any certainty when it comes to his NFL career, Hyde is putting injury fears aside and said he's "geeked" for the season opener on Monday, Sept. 11 against the New York Jets.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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