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The University of Mississippi Athletics
KD Hill Finds Purpose After Traumatic Injury
1/30/2024 | Football
As a former SEC defensive tackle and NFL prospect, KD Hill was accustomed to high-impact collisions on the field. However, on July 21, 2023, he experienced a collision like never before.
He woke up with his leg trapped between a tree and his vehicle.
After two blood transfusions and five hours of vehicle extrication efforts by first responders on the scene, Hill was air lifted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital's Level I Trauma Center for surgery.
Due to the severity of the crash, Hill's right leg was amputated below the knee. Over the next two weeks, Hill had pre-prosthetic rehabilitation, consisting of occupational therapy and physical therapy sessions, to help him adapt to life without his leg. He had seven surgical procedures to remove the damaged tissue and any foreign objects from the wound. His final procedure involved applying a skin graft to the residual limb to close the wound from his amputation.
"Our goal early on with KD was to help him with his pain and start mobilizing him," said Conley Carr, M.D., who serves as the medical director of the UAB Orthotics and Prosthetics Clinic and oversees the Limb Loss Clinic. "KD was certainly ahead of the curve and was already moving around the hospital a few days after surgery. While many patients transition over to Spain Rehab after surgery, KD was able to bypass that with flying colors, because he became so mobile so quickly. We were extremely pleased with his progress."
Prior to the accident, Hill was a defensive tackle on the Ole Miss football team and had been invited to try out for two NFL teams. While he was at Ole Miss, Hill won awards for his leadership on and off the field and was actively involved in serving his community in Oxford, Mississippi.
"I wanted to play in the NFL, but God had something else for me," Hill said. "I have always known that God wanted me to do something to glorify him and impact him. I used to do that on the football field by mentoring to kids, but I did not know that was going to come to an end at 23 years old from an accident where my leg had to be amputated. There is always a lesson to be learned from the adversity you face in life, and I know that, even through this, God has plans to prosper me and not to harm me. This accident has allowed me to walk into my calling and purpose in life."
To read the full story, visit UAB.edu...
