Five years ago, Josh Speidel suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident when he was a senior in high school, shortly after the former prep standout and three-star recruit had committed to playing for Vermont.
On Tuesday night, Speidel made his first Division I start on Senior Day and registered the first points of his collegiate career in a matchup against Albany.
In a prearranged moment, Speidel scored on his team's first possession.
With 19:40 on the clock in the first half, Speidel caught a pass from teammate Everett Duncan, took one step and scored off the backboard.
Players from both Vermont and Albany hugged him before he went to his bench and hugged every player and coach. He also shared a moment with Albany coach Will Brown.
It was a remarkable scene for those who have followed his journey. Lisa Speidel, his mother, said she cried when she saw her son run onto the court Tuesday night for warm-ups.
"When we walked into the gym, it felt like everything we'd imagined it would feel like," she said. "We're so proud of Josh, just hanging in there and working as hard as he has. He looked as good as I thought that he would in his uniform."
She still remembers racing down the highway with her husband, David Speidel, to get to a hospital in Indianapolis to see her son on Super Bowl Sunday in 2015, the night of his accident.
"We were praying on the way and we go, 'God, he's yours,'" David said.
At the time, Josh was a standout player at Columbus High School in Columbus, Indiana, who was averaging more than 28 points per game.
When they reached the hospital, doctors told the family their son had nearly lost his life and the prognosis for the future was not bright. He was in a coma for five weeks. Doctors told the family to prepare for their son to live in a vegetative state for the rest of his life and to need 24-hour care. He'd never read above a fourth-grade level, they said.
On the Glasgow coma scale, which doctors use to track the extent of brain injuries, anything eight or lower is considered to be a "severe head injury," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Josh, on the night of his accident, was a four on that scale, according to his parents. Yet, they kept their faith.
"We knew God had us, " Lisa said. "We decided that we were going to believe differently than what the doctors were telling us."
This year, Josh will graduate with a 3.4 GPA. Five years ago Tuesday, to the day, was a milestone for the family. It was the first day Josh sat up on the bed so his mother could hug him. From that difficult chapter to Tuesday's events highlighted the miraculous improvement their son has made.
Josh heard enormous applause as the announcer called his name before the game.
His parents said they thrived on their faith. But on their toughest days, however, their son helped them stay positive. He worked so hard to reach this moment, they said.
Josh's journey, Lisa said, should inspire others to keep going, even in their darkest times.
"We want people to have hope," she said. "Just that reminder, you know, don't give up."
"score" - Google News
March 04, 2020 at 08:45AM
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Vermont's Josh Speidel overcomes traumatic brain injury to score first career points - ESPN
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