The awful memories haven't faded.
They will be rekindled for Cincinnati Bengals lineman Scott Brumfield this Sunday when he returns to the Baltimore stadium where he was temporarily paralyzed by a collision last season. It wasn't certain then whether he would walk again, much less play football in the NFL."I've never actually watched tape of the play," the former Brigham Young University lineman said Monday. "I've seen the highlights on TV a few times and turned my head away and didn't pay attention. This week as we study game film, I'm sure the play is going to come up. I just have to put it out of my mind and act like it's just another game."
The Bengals play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at Memorial Stadium. It isn't certain whether Brumfield will play. In Sunday's season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, he was on the bench and was used for only one play to temporarily replace offensive lineman Ken Blackman.
Brumfield has started 26 games in his career. He hopes to get back to that level.
"I still don't think I'm back to where I was before I got hurt, but I'm well on my way as the weeks go along," he said. "I'll get back to where I was. I'm fully confident of that.
"I'm at a level now where I'm playing good enough if they need me to perform for a whole game or just two plays. But I'm still looking forward to getting better every day."
Brumfield, 27, was injured Nov. 3 when he and teammate Troy Sadowski collided on a play in which running back Garrison Hearst ran up the middle for six yards against Baltimore.
The 6-foot-8, 325-pound Brumfield lay motionless on the grass at Memorial Stadium. He was diagnosed with a spinal cord concussion, and went through months of physical rehabilitation.
He had to learn how to walk again. He went from a wheelchair to a cane to walking without assistance.
Doctors cleared him to resume playing football, and the Bengals signed him for this season.