The paralyzed former Rutgers University football player talked about his story and his goals at Red Bank Regional High School on Tuesday.
LITTLE SILVER - Prior to a late fourth-quarter kickoff during an October 2010 game between Army and Rutgers at MetLife Stadium, Eric LeGrand thought he was about a year and a half away from playing professional football.
Seconds later, LeGrand was laying motionless on the field, unable to breath or even to simply give a thumb's up. His dream of one day playing in the NFL would now be replaced with a new dream: walking again.
Eric LeGrand is taken off the field after being injured during the second half of the Rutgers vs Army football game at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford in Oct. 2010. (Noah K. Murray | The Star-Ledger) On Wednesday afternoon, the paralyzed 26-year-old former Rutgers defensive tackle told an auditorium full of Red Bank Regional High School students about what it was like to lose the use of his legs and arms, after he fractured his C3 and C4 cervical vertebrae while making a tackle on the kickoff.
But he also told them about his determination to one day walk back to that spot on the field, lay down and then get up on his own to "finish the play."
"Whatever your goal is in life, don't ever let anybody tell you that you can't do it," LeGrand told the students. "The doctors told me that I wouldn't be able to do a whole lot, and you see me here today talking in front of you. So believe in yourself, believe in the man above and anything is truly possible."
LeGrand said that his perspective on life did not come from dealing with his own circumstances, but rather witnessing even worse issues being faced by other people he met after his injury.
"We've got to be appreciative of the things we do have in this life, and don't focus on the things that we don't have," he said. "I'm appreciative of just being able to take a breath each and every day, which I don't take for granted anymore."
He also shared a definition of success that was drilled into his head while playing for Rutgers.
"Success is the peace of mind you get when you did everything you could to be the best could be," he said. "So if there is something that you want, then you're going to work your butt off to get it."
For LeGrand, that meant learning how to breathe on his own again and continuing his physical therapy in hopes of regaining the use of his arms and legs, but also getting his college degree.
He said that people often think that Rutgers simply gave him his degree in labor relations after his injury, when in fact he had to sit through lengthy classes via Skype, have someone take notes for him and learn how to dictate his papers through a computer program.
"It's a lot easier to type out a five-page paper than having to talk it out to some computer program," LeGrand said. "So there's no excuse for any of you. Because if I can do it without my hands to write on the paper, then you guys can do it."
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.