Less than two weeks after a harrowing car crash left him with season-ending injuries, Broncos offensive guard Dwayne Carswell shuffled slowly but unaided to the passenger side of a waiting vehicle.
Although he moved deliberately to shake hands Monday, Carswell smiled easily and spoke softly. The accident might have affected his immediate life, but he said it won’t be the life-changing moment some people might think. He vows to make a comeback next season at age 34.
“Oh, yeah, they say I’m healing fast,” Carswell said in his first interview since the accident. “The key right now is just time. Rest. I’ll be fine.”
Shortly after 7 a.m. on Oct. 27, Carswell was driving south on Parker Road in Aurora, headed for practice, when he became an innocent victim in a five-car pileup. The most seriously hurt in the collision, Carswell suffered a ruptured spleen that was surgically removed, multiple rib fractures, ruptured diaphragm and several bruises. He was hospitalized eight days before being released Friday.
The accident occurred when two cars traveling in the northbound lanes collided and veered into the southbound lane, where Carswell was struck.
“I was just driving when from nowhere I got hit from the opposite way,” Carswell said. “Crazy, man. Crazy.”
Until the accident, Carswell’s season was marked by a conversion from tight end, where he had made 190 receptions in 11 seasons with the Broncos, to offensive lineman, where he gained fame by making two touchdown catches in front of his hometown Jacksonville fans during a 20-7 win.
“Yeah, it’s tough because things were going well,” Carswell said about sitting out the rest of the season. “But, I’ll be around.”
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
