Eric LeGrand on CBS College Football Today
Eric LeGrand, former Rutgers DT who was paralyzed during a game vs. Army on October 17, 2010, was a guest panelist on CBS College Football Today. I'll applaud CBS for bringing him on the show and treating him like any other visiting commentator. Needless to say, I am blown away by Eric's resilience in moving forward with a positive outlook on life. Seemed like his broadcasting skills aren't bad either, as he did some radio for Rutgers recently. Great to see a kid like that in the media as a representative for individuals and families dealing with the challenges of a serious physical injury.
Props to both CBS and Eric for reminding me to take a step back from the ledge of rabid fandom, and I hope all the MGoReaders can do the same for at least a minute during the bye week. Wishing health and sanity to you all after an emotional week for the board.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:39 PM ^
First post in MGoHistory to use the tag "human reslience". (Good story by the way, I hate hearing stories about people in their prime suffering injuries of that nature, so it's nice to see he's staying positive.)
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:50 PM ^
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
Thanks for posting. Hope the guy continues on to great things in his life.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:50 PM ^
he seems humbled at the opportunity to be on set and did a very good job. I wish him well.
October 22nd, 2011 at 3:51 PM ^
what a sweet kid, glad he is loving the spotlight. Props for mentioning Michigan and OSU as reasons he wants RU to join the B1G.
October 22nd, 2011 at 4:48 PM ^
Thanks for posting this. I had a spinal cord injury 30 years ago and have been on wheels ever since. This kid is doing wonderfully, especially given that it hasn't been that long since his accident. Part of it is him, but a huge part of it is the support he's getting from what I call the Three Fs – Friends, Family, and Finance.
I'm encouraged and surprised to read that he had five months of inpatient rehab at Kessler Institute. That's one of the top places in the world – Christopher Reeve did most of his rehab there, and I go regularly. Most insurance won't cover anything close to five months these days. He's getting the best care there is.
Like most newly injured folks, he is determined to walk again. That wasn't realistic back in my day, but it probably is now. If not, it is possible to have a great life on wheels. I have. You never know what you're capable of getting used to until it becomes your norm. Eric is making the most of his new normal. It's great that he likes the attention. (I didn't. Being told that you are an "inspiration" when you're just living your life can feel pretty ridiculous.)
Good for everyone in Eric's family and the Rutgers community. Whatever his future holds, he seems ready for it.
October 22nd, 2011 at 5:27 PM ^
"You never know what you're capable of getting used to until it becomes your norm. Eric is making the most of his new normal."This post and the one regarding the Akron student's suicide fly under the radar next to things like "who do we root for?" and "afternoon games open thread," but insight like that is what makes the board worthwhile.
October 22nd, 2011 at 5:09 PM ^
October 22nd, 2011 at 7:49 PM ^
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/10/13/eric.legrand/index.html
SI had a write up on him not too long ago as well. Eric is quickly becoming one of my favorite people. He has such a positive outlook on life that it's refreshing everytime I read something from him.
My favorite story in that SI article is about the car he saved up for. Basically he saved all his money from two jobs he worked to get a car. He said he owned it for 2 hours before getting the car totalled when the driver behind him rear-ended his car. His mom was freaking out about the car, and he simply said: "I guess it just wasn't meant to be." Just shows you the type of person he is.
October 22nd, 2011 at 8:47 PM ^
Thought it was just awesome to see Eric up there providing his analysis with that big smile on his face. Truly an inspiration...