By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

It's been a long time since April 20, and Dennis Weathersby marked a major milestone Sunday.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Sunday's game

He had no tackles. His name appeared in only one statistical category - under substitutions. But the rookie cornerback made his first NFL appearance.

By his count, he played three snaps on special teams and defense.

He was inactive for the first eight games, but when a knee injury to cornerback Artrell Hawkins forced the Bengals to de-activate him, Weathersby was told to dress.

"It just feels good to be living," he said after the game. "Forget about playing, football aside, it just feels good to be living."

Weathersby was shot in the back on a Duarte, Calif., street on April 20, Easter Sunday.

Police said he was an innocent bystander in a drive-by shooting. The bullet passed through his torso and had to be removed surgically from his left biceps.

His injury and subsequent recovery has led to a new perspective for Weathersby, the Bengals' fourth-round pick last spring..

"Life is way more important than football," Weathersby said. "No offense, though, that's just my approach."

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