Brock Mealer

Submitted by ryanoe0610 on

Via a TomVH retweet: "RT @el_mealer @BarwisMethods Brock stood and took steps today with no crutches and no braces!!!! He's a beast!"

Awesome news. Couldn't happen to a better guy.

DoubleMs

April 11th, 2010 at 10:36 AM ^

I want Brock's progression to include wrestling Barwis. Only when he pins him will he be ready to return to the world a free-walking man.

Edit: Apparently me at 2am thought this was funny without being tasteless. Me at 10:30 AM doesn't think so.

Papajoe

April 11th, 2010 at 2:11 AM ^

I can't imagine the strength and dedication! Wow! Go gett'em Brock! This story really hits home with me. I live twenty minutes from Wauseon, and have some distant ties to the family. Great to see his progress!

fballcoach12

April 11th, 2010 at 5:56 AM ^

Thank god someone has finally posted about this miracle......i coach in the area and been a Michigan fan my whole life and RR and his staff are just so accomodating to all the coaches in the area and i got to meet Brock in the weight room a few saturdays ago after their practice. I tried posting about it after but the site wouldn't allow me to. Saying i can only reply to posts. Anyways I would like to tell everyone what i seen that day.

After the practice we were touring the weight room and I see this man working out with Barwis,I didn't pay much attention to who it was at first. I thought that is real nice that the strength and conditioning coach was working with some special ed. people. I see this guy busting his ass and Barwis was getting into him working him hard. It looked like he was doing squats just without the bar though. The gentleman was in obvious pain but it didn't matter you can see that this man was going to do whatever it took to finish his reps. As his grunts got louder my attention started to focus in on what was going on there. I then hear Barwis yell, "come on Brock! Dont quit on me Brock! Finish! Finish"! I was very familiar with the tragic story of the Mealer's and when I heard Brock's name my heart just about dropped along with some tears. It is amazing how far this man has came and how hard he has been working. His dedication was beyond anything I have ever seen before. I left that day inspired and feeling as if anything in this world is possible all you got to do is put your mind to it! It was a very emotional time for me there.

What is also amazing is how RR and staff and players have taken this guy in. As I was watching Coach Rod came in to talk to me and our coaching staff and to fill us in on the story of Brock because he saw how intrigued we were by what was going on. I of course already knew the story but the guys who i coach with are msu fans and weren't familiar with it. Coach Rod also had a clock in the weight room counting down to the first game against UConn. This clock was not only intended to the players but to Brock as well. Coach Rod had told Brock that his goal was to lead the Michigan football team out of the tunnel that day and that the clock was a constant reminder of how much time he has. I don't care what anyone has to say about RR but the guy gets IT. He is a person first and kudos to him and his staff for taking Brock in like this. His staff and players were amazing too. They all would walk by Brock and urge him on during his workout. I seen Coach frey, Coach Mcgee, Rod Smith and Fred Jackson stop by and talk to Brock along with just about every player. Brock is now part of the Michigan Family and I know he is going to be ready to lead that Michigan Team out of that tunnel come September! There won't be a dry eye in the BIG HOUSE that day!

The media wants to always publish the negative stories and never the good ones. Im sure RR and his staff can care less though. The only thing that mattered to them is Brock. I hope RR silences critics this upcoming season and has a long and successful tenure at Michigan because he deserves that along with his staff. I have had the priviledge to meet him several times, after the second time he remembered my name and has since that day. He is just a people person something i couldnt say about the old regime. Good Luck to Coach Rod and his staff! Good Luck Brock in your rehab! Can't wait to see you lead us onto the field! GO BLUE!

P.S. I converted two MSU fans to Rodriguez fans that day lol also Brock now walks 200 yards on the practice field everyday with some assistance....amazing!

Logan88

April 11th, 2010 at 8:20 AM ^

I was hoping that Brock would be able to walk onto the field when Elliot was a senior for Senior Day. I never expected that he might progress fast enough to possibly lead the team onto the field for the game against UConn. IME, that would be the most inspiring and emotional moment in UofM football history.

sheepman

April 11th, 2010 at 10:24 AM ^

This is an amazing post and Brock is an amazing young man.

PLEASE - take this story to the media. It is a beautiful example of the good this staff is doing. All of us homers from mgoblog are behind the staff, but others need to know this.

I really believe RR and his staff are good men who are really supporting this family and many others.

MaizeAndBlueManGroup

April 11th, 2010 at 12:45 PM ^

I read even more about this over on Scout as well. Apparently, when the team broke the huddle at the end of practice, Brock got up on his crutches and walked to about the 30 yard line with the whole team cheering him on.
This story about him striving to lead the team out of the tunnel against UCONN needs to be bumped to the front page, or a diary at least.

Michigasling

April 11th, 2010 at 1:00 PM ^

by the number of points you get on this posting alone, you'll be able to post on your own soon enough, if not already. It's one of the greatest stories surrounding the program, and it seems to be getting greater by the day. Don't know if I should admit I can't read the number of points you have because of some problem with a liquid coating screwing up my vision... And now I suspect I may miss a good part of the UConn game after seeing a shot of Brock. Just incredible, whether he has an assist of a crutch or two, or a team member or 80, I trust we'll see him out there. Let's Go Brock!

GunnersApe

April 11th, 2010 at 6:59 AM ^

I hope they redo the story this season on ESPN with him walking. But God forbid UM get any positive press.

Great for him, the work and dedication it took for him to do that most of us could never imagine. GO BLUE!

aaamichfan

April 11th, 2010 at 7:36 AM ^

After the Boren situation, it will be great to convert a lifelong Buckeye over to our side. The progress Brock is making is truly remarkable. I can't wait to see him lead the team out of the tunnel against UConn.

ebbtide

April 11th, 2010 at 10:37 AM ^

... and now i'm having a great day. This story hits me every time. I can't wait to see Brock take the field. He is so dedicated i have NO doubt it will happen.

El Jeffe

April 11th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^

If Brock actually leads the team out of the tunnel (which I sincerely hope he does) I will completely lose my shit and won't be able to recover for at least a full quarter.

WHERE THE FUCK IS/ARE ROSENSNYDER? Seriously, if the Freep has any pretensions of being a legitimate news source (at least for sports), this is the fucking test. If they're silent on this while simultaneously setting up a field office inside Dorsey's jock, they can absolutely just go and fuck themselves.

Slinginsam

April 11th, 2010 at 1:37 PM ^

Kudos to Coach Carr, for using his pull to get Brock transferred to the U of M Med Center; to the Rehab Unit that performs miracles like this with accident victims.

But highest kudos to Brock. How about his work ethic? You are a stud, brother.

Best wishes, we are all pulling for you.

Sommy

April 11th, 2010 at 3:09 PM ^

On a side note:

I don't know the exact date of the Mealers' accident, but I see on Brock's YouTube that he plays, or at least used to play a bit of guitar. As a guitarist, I wonder if he is still able to play and if he still plays at all. Obviously, losing the ability to play is quite secondary to losing the ability to walk, but it really hits home when I think about it.

Glad to see he's coming along!

Sgt. Wolverine

April 11th, 2010 at 4:47 PM ^

one of the greatest posts ever on this site. This news makes me happy like it's coming from a member of my own family.

When he does achieve his goal of leading the team onto the field, then I think that moment will deserve Muppets. That'll be an incredible victory.

MGoShoe

April 11th, 2010 at 6:37 PM ^

...of a wet blanket, but this story needs to be about the Mealer family's triumph over tragedy, not a counterpoint to the supposed lack of family values in RichRod's program.

I don't care one bit if the Freep carries this story. It doesn't matter because they've already proven that they're beyond redemption. They are dead to me.

As we've seen with the coverage ESPN has done to date, the story is compelling and heart warming and made to order for television. When Brock leads the team out of the tunnel at the UCONN Big House rededication game, it will be a huge story and the media will eat it up. And when that happens, the focus will rightly be on Brock and Elliot with RichRod and Barwis looking on like the proud coaches and mentors they are. That's all that really matters.

blueblueblue

April 11th, 2010 at 6:46 PM ^

Being happy for Brock and the Mealer family, and being proud of RR, Barwis, and the current UM football program, are not mutually exclusive. We can follow Brock's progress with hope and admiration, and at the same time hope that RR and crew get some of the credit they deserve for their role in this great story.

M-Wolverine

April 15th, 2010 at 11:55 AM ^

FWIW, the Freep has finally carried the story. I'm really beginning to buy into the theories that they're reading this blog for news. Anyway, I've upheld the freep link ban, but for Brock, I'll include some snippets (and a print link, for fair use...my print link comes up the same as the regular) - http://www.freep.com/article/20100415/SPORTS06/4150465/1054/Rich-Rodrig…

"It was pretty amazing," Brock said Tuesday while watching U-M's spring practice. "I've been fortunate enough that Coach Rodriguez has talked about me to the team on a couple occasions, which is great in itself. And in the last couple weeks, I stopped walking with braces and now just have a small brace on my ankle, and he asked me if I would be willing to wander out to them. With everyone else there, I felt pretty light on my feet.

"When we got out in the huddle and Coach Rodriguez said I'm a true Michigan man, that's just awesome."

The new goal that Rodriguez set for Brock was for the season opener against Connecticut, a date that Brock noted was 144 days from Tuesday. That’s when Rodriguez expects Brock to lead the Wolverines out of the tunnel at Michigan Stadium.

“Now they better be ready for that,” Brock said of the Michigan players.

"We love Coach Rodriguez," Brock said. "It was Super Bowl Sunday (2008) when he came in and got to meet with me. That was pretty special. He hadn't recruited my brother but took the time to come visit me. He's been a great guy."

Some of it might be the same stuff Tim and others have posted, but if any of it's new, it's worth hearing.