I am sending my most memorable comeback story that I have witnessed as an AT.

This story happened early in my career, but I remember it like it was yesterday. At the time I was both a classroom teacher and an athletic trainer for my high school. I received a phone call late one spring night from my athletic director, instructing me to report to the hospital first thing the next day as one of our 3 star D1 football recruits was in a horrible car accident. Now you might say this isn't sports related injury, however when you attend one of the smallest schools in the state, the athlete is a 3 sport athlete and being heavily recruited by D1 schools, everything becomes sports related. The next day I found the junior in a hospital bed, face almost unrecognizable due to 30+ stitches, and found the horrific news that he had fractured 2 vertebrae in his neck and a couple in his lower back. The next words haunted me all summer, "Ms. Heidi just tell me I will play football again." He was flown a day later to NYC to see a specialist who treated the NY Giants. 

Fast forward to the summer of senior year about 4 months post accident. He is trying to participate in football practice without being cleared and I had to sit him down and explain why he wasn't allowed on the field. He did not want to hear it. He was determined to play no matter what his senior year, I had to have a heart to heart and explain playing football after a cervical neck injury is unheard of in most cases. He explained he needed to see a specialist to be cleared and he was unable to locate the specialist. I found out that the specialist was world renown Dr. Joseph Torg. I also explained I knew how to locate him and could get him in to see him but no more secrets and no more sneaking around. He agreed and within 48 hours I had him in front of Dr Torg. The school sent me to the appointment as family support and better understanding of the situation. Much to my disbelief Dr. Torg cleared him to resume football activities without any restrictions, I almost fainted in the office. But my work had just exploded, the district wanted protection, I immediately turned to the team doctor, and school lawyer to make sure we were doing what was in the best interest of the athlete. It was determined that although he was medically cleared the final say was indeed the school physician. The doctor, AD, and myself, had a meeting with the family. It was determined that in order for the athlete to play a family member, his mother was the designee, would have to be at ALL football games home and away. The athlete would not be able to play without her physically present in the stands to ensure if something did go horribly wrong mom was on the scene. Once all legal documents were signed, the necessary practices were participated in when the young athlete who recovered from a horrific car accident stepped on the field for his first game of his senior year homecoming day! He played his favorite position of Middle Linebacker! 

But his story doesn't end there! He still received several D1 offers to play and ended up redshirting his freshman year for the University of Oklahoma Sooners! We still keep in touch, and although he graduated college with technically one year of eligibility left he still accomplished great things. Best of all he came back to his home and is now a coach to inspire and motivate the players of tomorrow.