Joseph Polk (born August 31, 1978) is a former American football defensive back.
In his rookie season in af2 with the Tulsa Talons,[1] Polk tripped over a fallen receiver and slammed headfirst into the padded wall that lines the field.
The impact broke his C-6 vertebra, leaving him paralyzed, and unable to move his legs and temporarily without feeling in his hands.
[2] Polk went on to spend 8 years as a player in the Arena Football League.
He has also won 2 American Indoor Football Association championships playing for both the Canton Legends and the Reading Express.