The saddest story of the sports weekend came Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where Rutgers was taking on Army. Late in the 4th quarter with the game tied at 17, defensive tackle Eric LeGrand was running downfield and made the tackle on the team’s kick return coverage. It was hard to see exactly how he suffered such a devastating injury, but LeGrand immediately collapsed and went to the ground with a spinal cord injury after making the tackle. The young man is paralyzed from the neck down and medical officials are unsure if he’ll walk again. Here’s the play that changed the 20-year-old’s life:
LeGrand was a 2008 recruit to Rutgers after succeeding at nearby Colonia High School. He actually played running back and middle linebacker in high school, rushing for 980 yards and 12 touchdowns while recording 115 tackles in his senior year. LeGrand bulked up when he got to Rutgers, enough to play defensive tackle yet still participate on special teams. Our thoughts will be with LeGrand and his family as he makes his journey towards walking again.
