YOU’LL HEAR HIS MESSAGE TO
STUDENTS, COMING UP TONIGHT.
>> Devin: THROUGH ALL THE UPS
AND DOWNS, SHE’S BEEN RIGHT
THERE BY HIS SIDE.
>> HE’S NOT NEGATIVE.
I’VE NEVER HEARD MIKE SAY "I
CAN’T"
EVER!
>> Devin: SHE IS SHARING HER
HUSBAND’S RECOVERY AND
OVERCOMING ANY OBSTACLE THAT
COMES THEIR WAY.
DANI UTLEY MET HIM WELL AFTER
HIS INJURY IN 1991.
BUT YOU’LL FIND OUT HOW MUCH
THEY RELY ON EACH OTHER.
>> Kim: AND THE BIG TAKE-AWAY IS
HOW DETERMINED BOTH OF THEM ARE.
>> Bernie: IT’S A PERFECT WORD,
DETERMINED.
MIKE UTLEY HAD BEEN IN A
WHEELCHAIR SINCE 1991, THE PAST
20 YEARS HIS WIFE DANI IS RIGHT
BY HIS SIDE.
THEY LOVE TO HAVE FUN AND DON’T
LET ANYTHING GET IN THEIR WAY
AND LOVE TO BUST EACH OTHER’S
CHOPS.
AND HE DOESN’T HOLD BACK, AND
NEITHER DOES SHE.
>> WINNING IS THE ONLY WAY TO
GO.
>> Bernie: JUST WIN, BABY.
AND THE LATE OWNER OF THE
RAIDERS AL DAVIS USED TO SAY.
HIS TWO VITALS, HIS WIFE AND HIS
WHEELCHAIR.
AND DANI PLAYS AN IMPORTANT
ROLE.
HE CAN’T GET AWAY WITH ANYTHING
WITH DANI RUNNING THE SHOW.
>> WE BOTH HAVE TO WIN, YEAH.
>> Bernie: DANI IS 53 YEARS OLD
AND THEY’VE BEEN MARRIED FOR 20
YEARS.
HE WAS WORKING OUT AT A GYM IN
WASHINGTON STATE.
>> YOU DON’T EVEN NOTICE THE
WHEELCHAIR, HE IS SO MUCH BIGGER
THAN LIFE.
>> Bernie: WAS IT LOVE AT FIRST
SIGHT?
>> IT PROBABLY WAS.
>> I SAW A PRETTY GIRL AND
THOUGHT I WOULD TAKE MY SWING AT
THE BASEBALL PLATE.
BATTER, BATTER, SWING!
>> Bernie: WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING
MARRIED TO MIKE UTLEY?
>> HE IS CONSTANTLY CHALLENGING
ME AND HE IS MAKING ME A BETTER
PERSON EVERY DAY.
>> Bernie: NOT ONLY DOES THIS
FORMER FIREFIGHTER, PARAMEDIC,
AND EMT CARE FOR MAKE, SHE ALSO
CARES FOR HER MOM NEXT DOOR.
HER PLATE IS FULL.
>> I HAVE NEVER SEEN MIKE’S
CONDITION AS A CHALLENGE.
NOT AS A UNIQUE CHALLENGE.
EVERYONE HAS CHALLENGES.
THEY’RE ALL DIFFERENT.
WE JUST GO WITH THE FLOW.
>> Bernie: ONE THING YOU DO
NOTICE WHEN THEY’RE TOGETHER IS
THE COMPETITIVE NATURE BUILT
INTO THE RELATIONSHIP.
HE TREATS HER LIKE SHE’S ONE OF
THE GUYS AND IT’S BEEN THAT WAY
SINCE DAY ONE.
>> IT TOOK TIME.
AND THEN I SEEN THAT SHE WAS
MOLDABLE AND TRAINABLE.
THAT’S THE ONE I LIKE!
>> ONLY IF I ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN.
THAT’S MY PROBLEM.
>> Bernie: AS FOR EMOTIONS, DANI
HAS THE PERFECT TAKE ON HER
HUSBAND’S.
>> HE DOESN’T WASTE HIS TIME ON
EMOTIONS THAT ARE NOT
PRODUCTIVE.
>> Bernie: IF YOU HAD NOT COME
ALONG, WOULD MIKE STILL BE HERE?
>> OH, GOSH, I WOULD LIKE TO
THINK THAT MIKE IS WHERE HE IS
AT TODAY BECAUSE I HELPED HIM TO
GET TO WHERE HE IS TODAY, BUT
MIKE IS GONNA WIN NO MATTER
WHAT.
>> Bernie: DO YOU THINK MIKE
WOULD HAVE MADE IT TO THIS POINT
WITHOUT DANI?
>> NO.
YOU WOULD NOT HAVE, MIKE.
SHE IS A SAINT, MAN!
>> Bernie: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE
YOU TO FIND OUT HE WAS A GOOD
GUY?
>> I’M STILL WAITING.
[LAUGHTER]
>> Bernie: NO MATTER HOW BLEAK
THINGS LOOK, HE REFUSES TO GO
NEGATIVE.
>> I’VE NEVER HEARD HIM SAY I
CAN’T.
>> Bernie: DO YOU BELIEVE ONE
DAY HE’LL WALK?
>> I WOULD NEVER SAY NEVER.
EVERY DAY HE WORKS AT BEING ABLE
TO WALK AGAIN AND HE’LL BE
PREPARED AND READY FOR WHEN THAT
DAY HAPPENS.
WILL HE WALK TODAY OR TOMORROW?
WHO KNOWS?
BUT HE’LL BE READY FOR IT.
>> Bernie: NO MATTER HOW THIS
STORY ENDS, IT’S BEEN A BLISSFUL
20 YEARS OF MARRIAGE, FILLED
WITH HIGHS AND ITS SHARE OF
LOWS.
THROUGH IT ALL, DANI REMAINS
STOIC AND STRONG WITH THE LOVE
OF HER LIFE.
>> THIS IS THE FAIRY TALE.
THIS IS THE FAIRY TALE WEDDING.
IT CAN’T GET ANY BETTER, IN MY
OPINION.
ASK HIM.
>> RIGHT.
>> Bernie: WE ASKED HIM, FOR
SURE.
WAS IT LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT FOR
HIM, AND HIS ANSWER WAS ONE
WORD, SURE.
AGAIN, NEVER PASSING UP THE
OPPORTUNITY TO BUST SOME CHOPS.
THE REAL TRUTH IS THEY’RE
ABSOLUTELY PERFECT TOGETHER.
>> Kim: AND SO POSITIVE, BOTH OF
THEM ARE.
>> Bernie: AND I MENTIONED THEY
WANT TO THANK THE FORD FAMILY
AND THE LIONS WHO HAVE TAKEN
CARE OF THEM THROUGH THE YEARS
AND THE MIKE UTLEY FOUNDATION,
MIKEUTLEY.ORG.
THEY WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM
YOU.
>> Devin: IT’S BEEN GREAT TO SEE
WHERE THE STORY WENT BECAUSE FOR
A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT STOPPED AT
THAT MOMENT AT THE SILVERDOME
GOING OFF THE FIELD.
>> Bernie: HARD TO BELIEVE IT’S
30 YEARS.
>> Devin: CHECK OUT THE EXTENDED
VERSION OF BERNIE’S SIT-DOWN
WITH MIKE.
>> Kim: HE TALKS ABOUT HIS FIRST
TRIP BACK TO THE SILVERDOME
AFTER HIS INJURY AND THE
TOUCHING MOMENT HE SHARED WITH