Flowery Branch — Just beyond the midpoint of last season, Coy Wire's fingers went numb. His chisled right arm fell weak.

Nerve damage in his neck was the diagnosis.

Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

Coy Wire (right) gets around fullback Corey McIntyre as he rushes through the offensive line. Wire, who played six seasons with the Bills before joining the Falcons, will back up Michael Boley at weakside linebacker.

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That is not anything an NFL football player wants to hear. Especially one who played for the Buffalo Bills and who, just weeks earlier, watched teammate Kevin Everett fracture his spine while making a tackle, causing a temporary threat to his life and paralysis.

"It really made me think about things, having just been married," Wire said. "It really put things in perspective."

Wire had surgery to relieve pressure on the nerve, which was caused by years of contact. Vertebra had to be fused together. The Bills, where he spent all six of his NFL seasons as a safety and linebacker, let him go.

Now, eight months after his operation and feeling no mental or physical side effects, Wire is with the Falcons. He's quickly made an impression as Michael Boley's backup at weakside linebacker and a key special teams player.

"Probably the guy that showed the most and flashed the most Friday and Saturday was Coy Wire and he's only been with us for about a week," said Falcons coach Mike Smith, referring to the team's full-scale scrimmage and simulated game, respectively. "Of all the guys we weren't aware of what they could do, he's probably the guy who showed the most."

Wire said he never considered retiring. Nor did he doubt that he'd play football again. Andrew Cappucino, the same surgeon who operated on Everett's damaged spine and set him on course to eventually walk again, performed Wire's surgery.

"I knew everything was going to be fine," Wire said. "I believe I was meant to play this game a few more years and I had confidence that things were done well. I didn't want to ponder the negative. I just stay positive and move forward."

Wire's lifestyle is one of mind over matter, a trait fostered as a child, where he learned mental strength through martial arts. His channeling of mind power helped him endure the pain elicited by his Gonzo style of playing football field and the grind of wrestling.

At Stanford, Wire studied religion and philosophy, expanding his inner being even more.

Yet, watching him play, he filters the Yin to the Yang. He's a peaceful, humble spirit outside of the lines but once he dons a football helmet, his Zen is masked and he unleashes a fury that's allowed him to have a solid NFL career.

"I was always big into the power of the mind and consciousness and awareness," Wire said.

The Falcons signed Wire shortly before the start of training camp after concluding that they needed some experience on special teams and in reserve at linebacker because the defense was so young.

To Wire, his effort to make an impact on the Falcons' roster is partially to return the show of trust Atlanta showed by signing him when other teams, including the Bills, were scared off by his health issues.

"There's no question a lot of teams were hesitant and wondering if I'd be the same player, if I would shy away from contact," Wire said. "It's understandable. Even the team I'd been with for six years didn't want to take the risk of me making it through the season and I understood that. I knew the right team would come along and it has."

Said Smith of Wire: "It would be great story. He had an issue with his neck. He is healthy now and he's got the green light to go and play. He's a very smart and instinctive player."