PHILADELPHIA — Eagles cornerback Avonte Maddox revealed that he lost feeling in his body for about 20 seconds following an accidental collision with teammate Andrew Sendejo in a Week 4 game against the Green Bay Packers.
Maddox practiced in full Wednesday for the first time since injuring his neck and suffering a concussion in Green Bay, and made the most of it, coming up with a one-handed interception that he returned for a touchdown.
“It’s a good feeling when you’re back on the field because you never know,” he said. “Now it’s kind of a point, you just cherish it all. That’s kind of where I’m at now, so I’m just out there having fun.”
The injury occurred late in the Packers’ game following a completion to Robert Tonyan over the middle. Sendejo came in for the tackle but collided with Maddox instead.
Eagles teammates poured onto the field as the 23-year-old Maddox was placed on a stretcher. He began laughing when safety Malcolm Jenkins made a joke to boost his spirits, which offered the team relief.
“I couldn’t move for a second,” said Maddox, who described it as being “stuck a little bit,” adding, “but once I came back in, that’s when I was like, ‘All right, I’m not paralyzed, so that’s a good thing.’ That’s when I started smiling.”
Sendejo apologized to him, Maddox said, and greeted him with a hug as he took the practice field again Wednesday.
“I told him he’s got to hug me for five seconds before every practice and every game,” Maddox joked.
Maddox has been fully cleared and said he had no hesitancy about returning to play.
“I wouldn’t put myself back on the field if I felt I wasn’t 100 percent ready. I feel like I’m 100 percent ready so that’s not something I think about; I still go out and compete my hardest,” he said.