Donte Whitner

Inspirational two-time Pro Bowl safety Donte Whitner defied the odds after being told he would never be able to walk after a childhood accident. After being hit by a car as a child, he made a remarkable recovery and went on to become one of the most formidable seek-and-destroy safeties in the game, playing for the Buffalo, Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers. He has now successfully transitioned to life after football since retiring from the game and has joined a growing roster of talent at CBS Sports Network as an analyst.

Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Whitner was six years old when he was hit by an oncoming car and suffered up to 30 fractures in his legs. Doctors told him he might not walk again, but after three months in a full body cast he made a fully recovery. He went on to enjoy a standout college career playing for the Ohio Buckeyes, earning all-conference honors in his junior year and helping the side defeat Notre Dame during the Fiesta Bowl in 2005. Drafted eight overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2006 NFL Draft, Whitner went on to play in the NFL for a decade as a seek-and-destroy missile of a football player whose career most notably came together at San Francisco where he was named to the USA Today All Joe Team.