Bobby Hurley roots for the Cowboys and he won’t begin paying close attention to the NFL until September, but he has been following the Giants closely these last few weeks for one reason in particular.
Hurley was interested in the status of running back David Wilson, who found out on Monday he will have to call it quits at the age of 23 because of diffuse cervical stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal. Hurley knows what Wilson is going through. The Jersey City native, a former two-time NCAA national champion at Duke, and Buffalo head men’s basketball coach, didn’t suffer a career-ending injury quite like Wilson, but it was career altering.
On Dec. 12, 1993, 19 games into his rookie year with the Sacramento Kings, Hurley was in a life-threatening car accident in which he suffered collapsed lungs and broken ribs. He played parts of five more seasons, but was never the same.
“When I see things like this in all different sports — the Paul George situation — when you watch something like this, it really hits home. They’re life altering. They can change the direction of your life,” Hurley said.
“What’s tough is just not going out on your own terms, and just the thoughts in your head, when you review your career and play the what-if game, that becomes difficult. It’s not easy to deal with. I’m sure he’s probably struggling with feeling like he’s been short-changed with how things happened.”
The biggest mistake the 43-year-old Hurley said he made was not talking to someone about what he was going through. He was so solely focused on getting back on the court, rehabilitating his broken-down body, that it took him longer to come to grips with the impact the injury had on his life.
It wasn’t until several years later — after a career as a thoroughbred owner — Bobby re-immersed himself into basketball, joining his younger brother Bobby’s coaching staff at Wagner College, then Rhode Island, and now as the head coach himself at Buffalo.
“I wish I would’ve gotten back into basketball sooner than I did,” Hurley said. “I felt like I was burned out by not succeeding as a professional after really grinding for so many years. I took myself out of the game for a while. I wish I could have that time back.”
Hurley gets the same joy coaching as he did playing. He hopes Wilson can do the same.
“If it’s something that’s in his heart to do, I think he can get all of the satisfaction [as he did as a player] staying involved in it at some level,” Hurley said. “Hopefully, he will find enjoyment in helping kids or coaching, if he’s passionate about it.”