Joseph Polk (born August 31, 1978) is a former American football defensive back. In his rookie season in af2 with the Tulsa Talons, 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. He was told that he would not be able to walk again, but he was able to get himself into a healthy enough condition to be able to play football again.