CINCINNATI - Dennis Weathersby was moved out of an intensive care unit Tuesday, but the Bengals cornerback still has months of therapy ahead as he recovers from a severe head injury suffered in a car accident.

Weathersby had been in a special neurological unit at University Hospital since his car went off a highway ramp and hit a utility pole on April 12. He was upgraded from serious to fair condition Tuesday and moved out of the 20-bed unit.

Patients must be awake and alert to leave the unit, which typically treats people who have suffered head injuries and strokes, said Dr. Lori Shutter. Weathersby, 23, will remain in the hospital while getting therapy.

He will be evaluated every few months to measure his progress, Shutter said.

''Some people never wake up from an injury like this,'' said Shutter, who directs the unit and treated Weathersby. ''The fact that somebody is moving on this quickly to rehab is a good sign in general. Where the ultimate endpoint will be is hard to know.''

Head trauma patients tend to have some permanent change as a result of their injuries, Shutter said.

''Most of the data suggests that for people with severe traumatic brain injury, 90 percent to 100 percent have some residual disability,'' she said. ''It may be as minor as their personality is a little different or their memory is a little worse.''

Weathersby had been looking forward to a prominent career in the NFL before he suffered two significant injuries unrelated to football.

The fast cornerback from Oregon State was projected as a high draft pick before he was wounded in a drive-by shooting in suburban Los Angeles last April. Police said he was an innocent victim of gang violence.

A bullet entered his back, passed just below his lung and lodged in his arm. He was so weak from the loss of blood that he could only walk a few steps on draft day, prompting him to slide to the fourth round.

He wasn't fully recovered by the time training camp opened, and appeared in only four games on special teams during the season. Coach Marvin Lewis was counting on him to play a much larger role this season, before the head injury put his career in jeopardy.

Weathersby will get therapy to restore his strength and coordination, and sharpen his speech, memory, concentration and other mental functions.