Showing posts with label eric lagrand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eric lagrand. Show all posts
Friday, January 7, 2011
Some GOOD news to report this morning
Rutgers lineman Eric LaGrand who was so awfully paralyzed during a game earlier this year has begun to have sensation throughout his entire body and movement in his shoulders. This is fantastic news. With any amount of movement or sensation there must be hope. Not that Eric will play football again, that's not important. What does matter is that with this hope he can regain some kind of strength in his strong body and somehow achieve what he needs to to lead a more complete life. Will it ever be as it was? No. Can it keep improving so that we all learn from Eric the Rutgers motto of 'Keep Chopping'? You better believe it.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Rutgers football gameday!
The Scarlet Knights will kick off, albeit with heavy hearts, in Pittsburgh today as they line up against the Panthers. Pitt will have a very nice tribute to Rutgers' Eric LaGrand who was tragically paralyzed from the neck down last week vs. Army.
The temptation for Rutgers to say "win one for Eric" is strong but let johnny pass along a story from long ago. Johnny was on his high school team and as usual, the team had lost that Friday night. Johnny got a phone call early the next morning to learn one of his friends and teammates and a team captain had been killed by a drunk driver along with two other classmates. The team had an upcoming game vs. Byron, an undefeated team well on their way to the state playoffs in Michigan. Johnny's team was merely a speed bump in their path. After one of the most difficult weeks of practice mentally, including a funeral, the coaching staff told us something very very wise, which was rather unusual for them. They told us don't try and win one for Ed. Imagine the crushing feeling you'll have if you fall behind to this team and you'll think you're letting Ed down. They instead told us to play like Ed would have played. Play every down like you were Eddie V. Our team did that cold Byron night, played like Ed would have wanted. The final score that night is burned into Johnny's brain; Brandon 12 Byron 6.
Hopefully the Rutgers coaching staff will have a similar message to the Scarlet Knights today. Play hard like Eric LaGrand did. Play all afternoon like Eric LaGrand would have. Make no mistake, life does go on and this is an important game for Rutgers in league play. A great season is still possible but the road games next two weeks will tell that story.
Today we hope for a cathartic experience for the Rutgers team and Coach Greg Schiano.
Our call?
Rutgers 27
Pitt 24
The temptation for Rutgers to say "win one for Eric" is strong but let johnny pass along a story from long ago. Johnny was on his high school team and as usual, the team had lost that Friday night. Johnny got a phone call early the next morning to learn one of his friends and teammates and a team captain had been killed by a drunk driver along with two other classmates. The team had an upcoming game vs. Byron, an undefeated team well on their way to the state playoffs in Michigan. Johnny's team was merely a speed bump in their path. After one of the most difficult weeks of practice mentally, including a funeral, the coaching staff told us something very very wise, which was rather unusual for them. They told us don't try and win one for Ed. Imagine the crushing feeling you'll have if you fall behind to this team and you'll think you're letting Ed down. They instead told us to play like Ed would have played. Play every down like you were Eddie V. Our team did that cold Byron night, played like Ed would have wanted. The final score that night is burned into Johnny's brain; Brandon 12 Byron 6.
Hopefully the Rutgers coaching staff will have a similar message to the Scarlet Knights today. Play hard like Eric LaGrand did. Play all afternoon like Eric LaGrand would have. Make no mistake, life does go on and this is an important game for Rutgers in league play. A great season is still possible but the road games next two weeks will tell that story.
Today we hope for a cathartic experience for the Rutgers team and Coach Greg Schiano.
Our call?
Rutgers 27
Pitt 24
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Jersey City Desk would like to send out the best wishes to paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand
Eric Legrand was paralyzed from the neck down late in Rutgers 23-20 victory over Army this past weekend covering on a kickoff. Johnny and the staff here are huge college football fans and as much as we love the big hits we feel simply awful they can sometimes result in such a life altering injury. Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano who spent a couple nights in the hospital at LeGrand's side says he is in good spirits. Schiano also said nobody knows about the prognosis for LeGrand going forward, it's simply too early to tell.
Until we know more, for now, we can only send our best wishes to LeGrand and his family. We'll give the last word on this to Greg Schiano:
"He has a new set of challenges in front of him but there's no doubt in my mind Eric LeGrand is going to look those challenges in the eye like he has all the rest of them and overcome them.''
Until we know more, for now, we can only send our best wishes to LeGrand and his family. We'll give the last word on this to Greg Schiano:
"He has a new set of challenges in front of him but there's no doubt in my mind Eric LeGrand is going to look those challenges in the eye like he has all the rest of them and overcome them.''
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