Ricardo Lockette: Without paramedics help, ‘I would have died'

Seahawks wide receiver Ricardo Lockette gave a big thank-you to firefighters, paramedics, and trainers for saving his life after his horrible, life-threatening injury hit last fall.

"I didn't really realize how serious it was until it was over," Lockett said in the video taken at the Redmond Fire Station. "[The doctor said] if I would had stood up then [when I was hurt] the weight of my head – left, right, front, back – I would have died."

Seahawks coach Carroll said Lockette would be out for the season after suffering a concussion during a special teams play with 12 seconds remaining in the first half.
 
The wide receiver was hit by Cowboys strong safety Jeff Heath. Lockett fell on his right side and appeared to remain motionless until medical crews from both teams reached him.
 
Lockette's injury was a huge scare for fans as he was carted off the field after a lengthy delay in the November 2015 game.

Lockette underwent successful surgery, but in the video published Friday, he also credited the trainers in saving his life.
 
"He shared that the expertise and education learned by the EMS community was passed to the trainers years ago...who learned how to backboard and protect cervical spines during these traumatic events and this is why he is alive today," Redmond Professional Firefighters and Paramedics wrote on its Facebook page. "Lockett is living proof that training, dedication and education are the components that make us better at our job."
 
The video had more than 19,000 views on Facebook as of Monday.

Cox Media Group