The Thrill of Sports: Eric LeGrand

Last month on October 8th, Eric LeGrand was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame, Class of 2020 – the induction being delayed a year because of the Covid19 pandemic. Then on November 4 in Bedminster, NJ, Eric returned to public speaking as his “A Night with Eric LeGrand” raised more than $72,000 for Team LeGrand, his charity that raises money to cure paralysis and improve the life of those with spinal cord injuries.

These two recent events brought me back to October 2010 when I started following Eric, even before he set up his @EricLeGrand52 Twitter account. You see, I was there at MetLife Stadium that fateful October 16^th when Eric suffered his life changing injury. I was only 15 years old then and it was my first trip to MetLife Stadium. My Dad had driven me there to see the Rutgers vs. Army football game. Eric suffered his devastating injury on a kickoff in the fourth quarter of that game. We were seated at the opposite end of the stadium, so we couldn’t clearly see what happened on the play. We did know it was serious, because play was halted and Eric was taken off the field on a stretcher. We drove home, not knowing how serious. We would later find out that, at the age of 20, Eric suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed.

Doctors thought that Eric would be on a ventilator for the rest of his life, would never eat solid food, and would never walk again. They were wrong on the first two, and Eric hopes to prove them wrong on the third, and someday walk again. In the 11 years since, with a lot of hard work and perseverance, Eric has exceeded his doctor’s expectations and accomplished remarkable things. His Mom, his faith, and his support team were very important in his recovery. Not only can Eric breathe on his own and enjoy eating solid food, but through a rigorous rehabilitation program, Eric regained movement in his shoulders and improved his health.

Eric resumed his studies at Rutgers in the Spring of 2011, and graduated with a degree in labor relations in 2014. He started Team LeGrand in September 2013, and has raised over 2 million dollars for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which helps those paralyzed with spinal cord injuries. Eric has become an author, a sports analyst for Rutgers football radio broadcasts, a motivational speaker, an entrepreneur, and an advocate for the paralysis community.

He has also received numerous awards and honors. Eric was on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he received the “Best Moment of 2011” Award for his return in a wheelchair to lead the Rutgers football team on the field in a snowstorm, no less. On October 29, 2012, he was honored with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPY awards that year. On September 14, 2013, Eric’s No. 52 football jersey was retired at the Rutgers-Eastern Michigan game. It is still the only number retired in the 151-year history of Rutgers football. In 2017, Eric, a longtime wrestling fan, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, receiving the Warrior Award.

In addition, more recently, Eric started his clothing brand, Shop Fifty Two, in 2019, and created his own coffee brand, LeGrand Coffee House, online in January 2021. The brick and mortar location will open this December in Eric’s hometown of Woodbridge, NJ. Eric is very active in social media and his Twitter account, @EricLeGrand52, has over 170,000 followers.

Eric’s motto is “bELieve” (the EL his intials), and he believes anything is possible. Eric believes it is not, if he will walk again, but when.

Eric recently said “I am on a mission to help as many people as I can”. Since that fateful day in October 2010, when he was severely injured and when I stared following him, Eric has helped me and countless others over the years, by his truly inspirational life and uplifting personality.

His life has been a source of inspiration, hope, and perseverance for not only those with spinal cord injuries, but also to more fortunate millions around the world. Eric has inspired me, because it is truly remarkable that someone thrown into such dire circumstances, could rise above them to accomplish so much, and be such a tremendous help to others. Eric LeGrand has touched my life and the lives of millions around the world by his inspirational example.

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Below are some additional photos and videos about Eric so that you might get to know him better and be inspired by him. For more information visit Eric's website: ericlegrand52.com.