At rehab, Eric LeGrand can move his arms. "So I can be like, ‘I walked off the field. "I’m really hands on. To understand why, you must see his daily grind through his eyes. It takes Karen LeGrand, with the help of a nurse and a nurse's aide, about two hours to get Eric out of bed, dressed and into the $40,000 wheelchair that Eric adroitly controls with a mouthpiece. Karen was worried sick that her big baby boy was wasting away. Now she's worried that he's going to eat himself out of that wheelchair. He's often asked to speak at schools and churches, to talk about overcoming adversity by staying positive, never giving up hope, believing in God and yourself. ", Karen says, "Me, myself, I just want to go to an island and get lost.". Now he’s an outpatient there, rehabbing three days a week. He can sit forward. But when no one is close enough, he just makes that face. Rutgers had just scored, and kicked off to Army late in a game at the new Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey. He tweets — @BigE52_RU has more than 21,000 followers — and posts on his Facebook page thanks to a voice activated laptop. When you try to move, there's 1,000 pounds on you and you can't move it." While there has been great progress in treating spinal cord injury patients, it is still almost impossible to predict recovery. He requests grandma’s baked ziti but it’s too late for that. Angry people are negative people and there is no place for negativity in the LeGrand home. It's up to Karen to keep an eye on the clock. He's breathing without a ventilator, something doctors had told his mother would be unlikely. His physical therapists attache electrodes to his back, chest, biceps and triceps. That's why they don't get angry. After about 30 minutes on the bike, he moves over to another station to do some weight training — again with the help of the electrodes. On this unseasonably warm day, the first thing Eric wants to do is go outside. On the front of his mom’s black shirt, BELIEVE in red letters with LeGrand’s number, 52. He does several sets of side-to-side movements, a few minutes each. Before his injury Eric could and would eat just about anything he wanted. FEATURED COMPONENTS. "One thing I’m going to do when I get better, I’m going to go back out to the Giants’ field. "There are so many good people out there and it helps because I don’t know when I’m going to be able to work again," she says. throughout his body, although he was still unable to walk years later. He also has resumed his studies at Rutgers, who has set up the Eric LeGrand Believe Fund. Karen needs to get Eric home in time for class and to cook dinner. Again, big smile. I have to make sure they do it my way. His arms are put in straps and held up to about shoulder level, weights keeping them in place. When they get to Kessler, a passer-by does a double-take as he walks by the minivan, stops, turns back and leans into the open door. I'm going to get up and run back off the field, right back to the sideline. He's already done his first TV spot, too. Now, LeGrand can move his arms and shoulders. Karen goes to get lunch and maybe does some shopping or errands. Rehab wraps up a few minutes early because LeGrand needs some adjustments to his chair and before he goes home for class, he has to stop by Rutgers to receive an award from a church group from Brooklyn. Done with lunch, Eric heads to the minivan and backs himself in perfectly. In 2011, after months of intensive therapy at the renowned Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, Eric was weaned […] Eric's goal is to someday walk again and his progress has reached the point where he can stand with the help of special medical equipment. I think that’s why he likes being around the team.". He can feel sensations all over, too, but he cannot distinguish between sharp and dull pressure. But after his injury, LeGrand’s appetite went away and his weight dwindled to 196 pounds. "I would like to say I'm going to be able to work in a year, but you know that I have to have confidence. Mike, then 45 years old, was able to move his arms slightly. "When I get better, I'm going to move to Florida," he said. The business first launched with an online shop, and a brick and mortar location will open later this year in Eric’s hometown of Woodbridge, New Jersey. He’ll even do it to one his physical therapists now and again. Like us on Facebook. Burgers, barbecue, baked ziti — his grandma's is best, though his mom's will do — cookies and cake. Within a year of his injury, he began to use his arms again, and could stand with the help of a metal frame. Believing is a big part of LeGrand's life. "I’m famous," Eric says with a smile as he rolls into Kessler. He requests grandma's baked ziti but it's too late for that. "They say spinal cord injuries are financially crippling and they are," she says. In the early days after his injury, Karen LeGrand and an aide would lift him out of the chair together, but now they can move him to his bed, his bathroom or his therapy table using a system of tracks running along the ceiling. Six years ago, Eric LeGrand sustained a spinal cord injury while playing football for Rutgers University. Rutgers Player Paralyzed (VIDEO): Next 72 Hours Critical for Eric LeGrand October 19, 2010. While there has been great progress in treating spinal cord injury patients, it is still almost impossible to predict recovery. To Eric, it is not matter of if he walks again, but rather when. LeGrand used to be able to bench press more than 400 pounds, but this workout is as tough as any he's ever done. He has sensation in his body since the injury and can shrug his shoulders, but he has been unable to move his arms or legs since being hurt. The amazing thing now is, for a guy who still can’t scratch his nose, LeGrand will tell you with a smile -- always with a smile -- why he has so many reasons to be grateful. They treat him like the same guy. "I miss the most being able to take care of myself," he says. Eric LeGrand believes he will walk again. Eric sits, bent at the hip in his chair with his arms crooked and his forearms resting on the table, palms down. WHERE IS Eric LeGrand? His former teammates stop to chat and make plans. Before she goes, she straightens his shirt, pushes back a couple of his dreadlocks and sends him on his way. After five months at Kessler, Karen figures she knows just as much as any caregiver about the proper way to take care for her son. A day in the life of Eric LeGrand is, in a word, busy. On a kickoff to Army, LeGrand unintentionally put his head down while running and ended up driving the crown of his head into the shoulder of the ball carrier, Malcolm Brown. "They say spinal cord injuries are financially crippling and they are," she says. "She gives me like one cookie every other day," he says. Paralyzed LeGrand returning to normal after injury. Eric continues to make progress in his recovery from his injuries. After about 30 minutes on the bike, he moves over to another station to do some weight training -- again with the help of the electrodes. He does several sets of side-to-side movements, a few minutes each. Between insurance she pays for, Rutgers' insurance and the NCAA's insurance, Eric's medical bills and all his equipment are covered for now. LeGrand is 250 pounds. Eric's goal is to someday walk again and his progress has reached the point where he can stand with the help of special medical equipment. In 2010, Eric LeGrand “collided with the ball carrier” and “suffered a severe spinal injury”. I’m going to get up and run back off the field, right back to the sideline. His physical therapists attache electrodes to his back, chest, biceps and triceps. Mom gets a break while Eric is at rehab. Six years ago, Eric LeGrand sustained a spinal cord injury while playing football for Rutgers University. The standout defensive tackle became paralyzed from the neck down with a 0-5% chance of regaining neurological function according to his doctors. Henry Repeating Arms is the leading lever-action firearms manufacturer in the USA. Just like she used to do when Eric was little, and he'd be out playing from morning until sundown, Karen has to call her son in to eat and hope that he's close enough to hear. At rehab, Eric LeGrand can move his arms. At rehab, Eric LeGrand can move his arms. And they both admit having moments of frustration. But before Eric hits the road on his big trip, he wants to swing by the stadium where he played his last game and take care of some unfinished business. They’ve been selling Believe Wear shirts and sweats like the one Karen was wearing, to raise money for the LeGrands. He hangs out with his friends and his girlfriend. He scrunches up his nose and mouth, wiggles them a bit, stretches them from side to side. "I love barbecued hamburgers," he says. Karen LeGrand worked for 20 years as an import/export specialist. His physical therapists attache electrodes to his back, chest, biceps and triceps. "We’ll have to deal with that when it happens. "I love the way the players treat him. Christensen Arms … He's got a similar bike at home, on which he can also work out his legs, with the help of those electrodes. Karen declines an offer to help strap in the chair. JEFFERSON – Eric LeGrand took the high school stage at six years to the week after he fractured his C3 and C4 vertebrae in a Rutgers football game. Welcome to the Employer Resource Information Center (ERIC). It’s up to Karen to keep an eye on the clock. They treat him like the same guy. Eric LeGrand was paralyzed playing defense for special teams on a kickoff return late in the fourth quarter of an NCAA game against Army. And, according to his doctors, has not responded since. His face strains from the effort. He also has resumed his studies at Rutgers, who has set up the Eric LeGrand Believe Fund. Before she goes, she straightens his shirt, pushes back a couple of his dreadlocks and sends him on his way. '", NYC Police Union Claims Cop's Car Was Set on Fire, Over 1,100 PPE Items Removed From Jersey Shore Last Year, as Masks Litter World's Beaches, Copyright © 2021 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. As a true freshman, LeGrand made his first appearance on special teams against North Carolina, but by the next season his coach decided to move him to the defensive line. Low 44F. Eric explained that his mother can hook a sling under his arms… Karen LeGrand would have it no other way. But he needs to keep his weight under 242 to be able to do certain rehabilitation exercises involving treadmills and harnesses. Angry people are negative people and there is no place for negativity in the LeGrand home. With the electrodes in place, his hands are strapped to a hand bike and once the current gets flowing, Eric can start cranking until the spasms — a frequent side effect — kick in, his muscles tighten and he needs to stop. He survived an injury that not everyone survives. He’s already done his first TV spot, too. Karen LeGrand worked for 20 years as an import/export specialist. That’s why they don’t get angry. He can't scratch it because he is paralyzed below the shoulders. In the aftermath, Rutgers Junior Eric LeGrand lay on the football field, moving his head as if willing to move his body. He’s got a similar bike at home, on which he can also work out his legs, with the help of those electrodes. "I got to start fighting to get something out of her.". That would be the last moment where LeGrand … They understand that the road ahead will not be easy. If his mom was close by, he'd rub his face against her chest, shoulder or arm. LeGrand left the field on a stretcher, unable to move under his … After missing most of his junior year, he’s back to working on his degree at Rutgers. And his progress did not stop there. "I would like to say I’m going to be able to work in a year, but you know that I have to have confidence. The only thing the LeGrands have closed their minds to is negativity. But he needs to keep his weight under 242 to be able to do certain rehabilitation exercises involving treadmills and harnesses. The amazing thing now is, for a guy who still can't scratch his nose, LeGrand will tell you with a smile — always with a smile — why he has so many reasons to be grateful. I think that's why he likes being around the team.". Eric says when he gets better, "I’m definitely going on five or six vacations. On October 29th, 2011, the 21-year-old LeGrand, in his motorized wheelchair, led the Scarlet Knights onto the field at Rutgers’s stadium for … The art work on the living room wall, BELIEVE. LeGrand will … Now she’s worried that he’s going to eat himself out of that wheelchair. "There are so many good people out there and it helps because I don't know when I'm going to be able to work again," she says. His physical therapists attache electrodes to his back, chest, biceps and triceps. LeGrand, then a 270-pound defensive lineman for the Scarlet Knights, made a hit on Army kick returner Malcolm Brown and fractured his C3 and C4 vertebrae. That was a life-changer. On Sunday, Oct. 16, it will be one year since the 21-year-old LeGrand played his last football game, made his last tackle. Now he's an outpatient there, rehabbing three days a week. And he's going to do great things in the interim as well.". "I’ve been praying for you," the man says. Jets linebacker Bart Scott sent a $36,000 check to the LeGrands, the proceeds from his "Can't Wait" T-shirts. Today he is capable of sitting up for 15 minutes on his own and is slowly regaining some movement in his arms. "I got to start fighting to get something out of her.". The art work on the living room wall, BELIEVE. "He's going to be fine. "When I get better, I’m going to move to Florida," he said. He does analysis during pregame, postgame and halftime of Rutgers radio broadcasts. Right now Eric is my main concern.". Karen declines an offer to help strap in the chair. He’s going to walk and he’s going to do great things. The electrical charges take the place of the ones that can't get from his brain to his muscles because of the injury to his spinal cord. She tried going back to work for a few days while Eric was at Kessler, but it just wasn’t working. "The neat thing is he’s still E," coach Greg Schiano says. He’s breathing without a ventilator, something doctors had told his mother would be unlikely. ERIC is a self-service unemployment compensation tax system. LeGrand, then a 270-pound defensive lineman for the Scarlet Knights, made a hit on Army kick returner Malcolm Brown and fractured his C3 and C4 vertebrae. He'll even do it to one his physical therapists now and again. And he’s going to do great things in the interim as well.". But before Eric hits the road on his big trip, he wants to swing by the stadium where he played his last game and take care of some unfinished business. At rehab, Eric LeGrand can move his arms. With the electrodes in place, his hands are strapped to a hand bike and once the current gets flowing, Eric can start cranking until the spasms -- a frequent side effect -- kick in, his muscles tighten and he needs to stop. He’s often asked to speak at schools and churches, to talk about overcoming adversity by staying positive, never giving up hope, believing in God and yourself. So, yes, he can have a treat today, but it has to be one of those 100 calorie cookie packs. Karen feeds Eric a grilled chicken sandwich and even before he's done he starts asking about cookies. "We kind of go in with open minds.". He's going to walk and he's going to do great things. LeGrand's appearance at the Hale Center, Rutgers' athletic facility, draws a small crowd. Karen feeds Eric a grilled chicken sandwich and even before he’s done he starts asking about cookies. But it didn’t respond. It’s about a 45-minute drive to Kessler and Eric still has to have lunch. Just like she used to do when Eric was little, and he’d be out playing from morning until sundown, Karen has to call her son in to eat and hope that he’s close enough to hear. "So I can be like, 'I walked off the field. That’s what happened to football player, Eric LeGrand. So, yes, he can have a treat today, but it has to be one of those 100 calorie cookie packs. Karen says she’ll put some hamburgers on the grill and to Eric, it’s the best news he’s heard all day. "We kind of go in with open minds.". But after his injury, LeGrand's appetite went away and his weight dwindled to 196 pounds. That’s why Christensen Arms builds an exceptionally lightweight, accurate firearm with cutting-edge, aerospace technology that’s not a burden to carry all day – even if you don’t get to take a shot. He hangs out with his friends and his girlfriend. I’m sure the nurses and the aides hate me.". Mondays and Fridays, LeGrand, the former Rutgers football player whose career was cut short by a spinal injury in 2010, is working with his foundation, Team LeGrand, and traveling the greater New York City area for … He can’t scratch it because he is paralyzed below the shoulders. When he went in for a tackle on Michael Brown, his head collided with Brown’s left shoulder, causing him to fracture his … Burgers, barbecue, baked ziti -- his grandma’s is best, though his mom’s will do -- cookies and cake. I have to be able to trust the people taking care of him before I can leave them with him. His nursing training, combined with the lack ... Eric LeGrand. It’s a hit that’s hard to watch. It’s well into the six figures already. In the two-bedroom apartment where he and his mother, Karen LeGrand, live in Woodbridge, about a mile away from the home where he grew up in Avenel -- which is being rebuilt to accommodate him -- there is a wood carving of BELIEVE on the TV stand. The standout defensive tackle became paralyzed from the neck down with a 0-5% chance of regaining neurological function according to his doctors. On the front of his mom's black shirt, BELIEVE in red letters with LeGrand's number, 52. "Because the numbers may say there's only a 20 percent chance of walking, you really don't know that," said Dr. Monifa Brooks, who treated LeGrand at Kessler. He takes classes three nights a week, using an online video conference to watch the lectures from home. Karen and Eric aren't naive. After missing most of his junior year, he's back to working on his degree at Rutgers. Believing is a big part of LeGrand’s life. LeGrand remembers going down and being dazed, but didn't understand at the time how severely he was hurt. He can feel sensations all over, too, but he cannot distinguish between sharp and dull pressure. In the two-bedroom apartment where he and his mother, Karen LeGrand, live in Woodbridge, about a mile away from the home where he grew up in Avenel — which is being rebuilt to accommodate him — there is a wood carving of BELIEVE on the TV stand. WOODBRIDGE, N.J. -- Eric LeGrand makes this face sometimes. When they get to Kessler, a passer-by does a double-take as he walks by the minivan, stops, turns back and leans into the open door. On Sunday, Oct. 16, it will be one year since the 21-year-old LeGrand played his last football game, made his last tackle. The business first launched with an online shop, and a brick and mortar location will open later this year in Eric’s hometown of Woodbridge, New Jersey. A day in the life of Eric LeGrand is, in a word, busy. The electrical charges take the place of the ones that can’t get from his brain to his muscles because of the injury to his spinal cord. LeGrand has since finished his degree, published a book (Believe the Victorious Story of Eric LeGrand), worked as a sports analyst and motivational speaker, and is now trying his hand as a coffee shop owner. You have permission to edit this article. It's about a 45-minute drive to Kessler and Eric still has to have lunch. He’s up to 240 and looks like a football player again, thick in the chest and legs. LeGrand will … "I love barbecued hamburgers," he says. The only thing the LeGrands have closed their minds to is negativity. The Eric LeGrand Patriot Saint Foundation is dedicated to helping those with spinal cord injuries. Done with lunch, Eric heads to the minivan and backs himself in perfectly. It takes Karen LeGrand, with the help of a nurse and a nurse’s aide, about two hours to get Eric out of bed, dressed and into the $40,000 wheelchair that Eric adroitly controls with a mouthpiece. The electrical charges take the place of the ones that can’t get from his brain to his muscles because of the injury to his spinal cord. I have to make sure they do it my way. Where I got hurt, I'm going to lay down. "We have faith and we pray and we know in the long run -- we don’t know how long it’s going to be -- but in the long run he’s going to be OK," she says. Eric resumed his studies at Rutgers University and graduated in the spring of 2014. LeGrand fractured his C-3 and C-4 vertebrae and, that night, underwent nine hours of emergency surgery to stabilize his spine. On this unseasonably warm day, the first thing Eric wants to do is go outside. LeGrand was credited with the tackle, but he lay on the ground for several minutes before being carted off, unable to move anything but his head and unable to breathe. He's up to 240 and looks like a football player again, thick in the chest and legs. "I miss the most being able to take care of myself," he says. He laid motionless on the 25-yard line, a seemingly routine collision in a college football game sending Eric LeGrand onto his back. Nike presented their Eric Legrand Foundation Game jersey for Tampa Bay fans who want to show their support and spirit for Eric LeGrand on his long road to recovery. However, when he tried to move his legs with no success, he realized the seriousness of his injury. Now, LeGrand can move his arms and shoulders. Rutgers has established the Eric LeGrand Believe Fund to help. I have to be able to trust the people taking care of him before I can leave them with him.