It is spectacular news that Buffalo tight end Kevin Everett has a chance to make a recovery from the severe cervical spine injury he suffered Sunday while making a tackle on a kickoff against Denver.

Everett was able to respond to verbal commands and move his arms and legs, said Dr. Andrew Cappuccino, the Bills' orthopedic surgeon.

While Everett's recovery is terrific in itself, there was something about his treatment that has broader implications for future victims of similar injuries. Apparently a key to this latest development was the quick action to run an ice cold saline solution through the player's system that put Everett in a hypothermic state. A physician at the Miami Project, a University of Miami neurological center that specializes in such medical issues, said that the protocol is being used there but that this is the first time he knew of that a doctor could administer the treatment so quickly.

A societal good that comes out of the unfortunate circumstances of war has been the advances in the treatment of trauma. Surgeons working under the immediate pressures and dealing with the devastating consequences of battle on the human body have often returned home and used techniques that resulted from wartime experiences to save lives and preserve quality of life for people hurt in day-to-day accidents.

In this case, a serious injury suffered on a field of sports combat may also play a key role in leading the way to help others.