garland
December 21, 2011, 3:34pm
1
<p>[Politi:</a> Eric LeGrand, Sports Illustrated cover star, sees the world rally around him | NJ.com ](<a href=“http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2011/12/politi_eric_legrand_sports_ill.html]Politi: ”>Politi: Eric LeGrand, Sports Illustrated cover star, sees the world rally around him - nj.com )</p>
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The moment is frozen in time now, and looking back, thats fitting. Because on that day, as an October snowfall turned the Rutgers campus into a white slippery mess, Eric LeGrand was freezing.</p>
<p>I remember thinking about how cold it was, he recalled Tuesday, and this is the part most people wont see when they pick up Sports Illustrated this week and look at the cover.</p>
<p>LeGrand, the 21-year-old inspiration at the center of the photo, cannot regulate his body temperature because of his spinal-cord injury. He hates the cold. His mother fears it. His head coach worried that his motorized wheelchair might get stuck on the slush-covered field. </p>
<p>And then what? </p>
<p>But LeGrand was undeterred. He was leading his teammates his friends into that stadium, and nothing was going to stop him, including the condition that left him paralyzed below his shoulders. </p>
<p>This is my team. This is my senior year, he said. This chair wasnt going to hold me back.
</p>
<p>The word “inspiration” gets thrown around a lot, but Eric LeGrand truly embodies it.</p>
kelsmom
December 21, 2011, 9:28pm
2
<p>Wonderful story — thanks for sharing it.</p>
garland
December 21, 2011, 9:50pm
3
<p>The local papers have had a lot of stories about him since the accident. Everything about Eric is impressive–his attitude, his accomplishments (he does some of the play-by-play and half-time shows for the Rutgers games, among other things), his positive attitude–just a beautiful spirit.</p>