The first clue that something was wrong came when T.Y. Hilton lost feeling on his left side during a puddle jump of a flight from Detroit to Indianapolis after a preseason game.
The Colts’ four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver can remember how his mind immediately began to race.
“I’ve played with a lot of (injuries), but from that plane ride home, there was nothing I could do physically,” he said. “I had no feeling at all.”
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A subsequent visit with doctors revealed the problem: Hilton’s C6 disk was blocking a nerve, resulting in a lack of sensation on the left side and intense pain in his neck. The solution — surgery — was unsettling.
“You only get one neck,” Hilton said in his first media availability of the regular season.
Hilton underwent the surgery in late August without realizing the immediate aftermath would become a huge test of both his faith and patience. The pain was excruciating, Hilton said, and the delicate nature of the injury prompted him to consider some consequential decisions.
“The first two days out of surgery, I didn’t think I’d be back, to be honest with you,” said Hilton, who believes he aggravated a previous neck issue in the final practice of training camp. “It was painful. I hope nobody has to go through that.”
It wasn’t until later, near the end of his news conference, that Hilton acknowledged he was burying the lead.
“The first two days, when I got home, I almost hung it up,” Hilton said, invoking the possibility of retirement. “I can’t lie. I didn’t tell anybody but people close to me. I was kind of close to hanging it up.”
It was a sobering revelation from one of the Colts’ all-time greats, a man who ranks third in franchise history behind Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne in career receiving yards (9,360) and an undersized player who has overcome his small stature to last 10 seasons in a violent sport.
But then Hilton lightened the mood with a wisecrack that prompted an outburst of laugher from a roomful of reporters.
“I talked to Andrew (Luck),” he said. “That was probably the wrong thing to do.”
Luck, the Colts’ former franchise quarterback, stunningly retired at 29 a week before the 2019 season. If Hilton was contemplating retirement, perhaps his close friend wasn’t the best resource on this particular subject. As it turns out, Luck did what you’d expect a close confidant to do: He listened. Luck visited Hilton and lent an ear.
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“He just wanted me to be good with (my decision) and to get back healthy,” Hilton said. “(He said,) ‘Don’t rush it. Take your time. And before you get back, make sure you talk to me.’ But other than that, he was being supportive. He continued to check on me.”
With time, the discomfort faded and Hilton experienced relief. The feeling on his left side returned and Hilton could once again sleep for longer than a few minutes at a time, something he was previously unable to do. Problem was, football wouldn’t be an option for a while.
The timing was unfortunate. Hilton had enjoyed an impressive training camp and was beginning to develop chemistry with his new quarterback, Carson Wentz. But the surgery put him on the shelf to open the season.
Hilton awoke on opening day and was hit by a very different set of emotions from the usual anticipation and optimism.
“I just woke up crying,” he said. “There was nothing physically I could do to be out there. As an athlete, playing this game, there’s just something your body feels on game day. Only athletes will understand what I’m saying. And it hurt me. It hurt me a lot. It was tough. Monday through Saturday, I’m good, just constantly rehabbing. But Sunday, watching my team go out there without me, it hurt me a lot. It took a big toll on me.”
Now Hilton finally is nearing the finish line. After spending the past five weeks regaining strength, he returned to practice this week and has been designated for return from injured reserve.
It remains unclear whether he will play in Sunday’s game against Houston, but the idea is on the table. It will be a collective decision between doctors and the coaching staff, Hilton said. But he’s certainly close, and his impending return is some of the best news the 1-4 Colts have gotten in this unsightly, injury-marred season.
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Wentz is coming into his own, posting career-best numbers in Monday’s loss to the Ravens. Hilton might be a month shy of his 32ndbirthday, but he remains a force to which defenses react. It was clear last season when his presence opened things up for other receivers even when the ball did not come his way.
And it’s possible that can be true again.
“Everybody knows when (No.) 13 is out there, we’re a different team,” Hilton said. “Carson’s been playing phenomenal. He’s been playing great. As long as he continues to play how he’s playing and he’s getting comfortable with the offense and making plays … I can only help, especially moving that safety out of the middle of the field, move that extra (defender) out the box. I can help with that.”
It’s a pivotal time in Hilton’s career. He signed a one-year deal with the Colts after a difficult contract negotiation in March. He had previously said he intended to sign one more deal before retirement but later softened that stance when he agreed to sign for just a single season. But this could be his last go-round, a final chance to show the kind of impact he can have.
When teammates learned this week that Hilton would be practicing, it sent a jolt of energy through the team. They know what many other opponents have learned over the years: The Colts are a better team with Hilton in the lineup.
“Everybody just went crazy,” Hilton said. “It was kind of like, ‘Forget about Baltimore, let’s just move on.’ It just brought a smile back to them. And that’s what we needed.”
After a brief brush with retirement, it seems Hilton decided he needed it, too.
(Photo: Zach Bolinger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Stephen Holder is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the NFL. He has covered the league since 2005, with lengthy stints on the Buccaneers and Colts beats for the Tampa Bay Times and Indianapolis Star. A South Florida native who attended the University of Miami, he has also previously worked for the Associated Press and The Miami Herald.
