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We are in the throws of football and as it goes with every season, we have seen a few upsets in college and professional games, listened to sportscasters playing Monday morning quarterback and have had our fair share of controversy.  So when people ask me if there is a particular story I’m following this season, I say yes.   It’s not the merry-go-around of the college conference realignment or whether the Eagles can salvage their season, it’s about the resolve and character of one special young man, Eric LeGrand.  After reading SI.com’s latest story about Eric, you’ll understand why I’m writing about him this week.

On Oct. 16, 2010, Eric, a junior on Rutgers’ specials teams and a defensive tackle, playing against Army, ran downfield after a kickoff and collided with the returner.  With five minutes left to go in the 4^th quarter, the game tied at 17, the collision left Eric paralyzed from the neck down and a team and community challenged to bELieve.  Eric fractured his C-3 and C-4 vertebrae and was told he would never walk again and never breathe again without the help of a ventilator.  Five weeks after his accident, he came off the ventilator.  Today, with some assistance he can consistently stand for forty minutes at a time and next week will start working and exercising his lower body on a locomotive treadmill.

Eric bELieves he will walk again and so do his supporters. He doesn’t ask for sympathy or regret playing the game he grew up loving.  Rather he sees this challenge as an opportunity to inspire others going through adversity.  From coverage in local New Jersey papers to ESPN and Sports Illustrated, Eric’s story has drawn national attention because of his attitude and resolve.  And while he has thousands of fans across the country tracking his progress and following him on Twitter (BigE52_RU), Eric remains the Scarlet Knights biggest fan. 

In the SI.com article, Eric thanks his family, friends and the community for their support and outreach. He also talks about how technology allows him to use voice activation to send texts and Tweets, take college classes through Skype and more. Eric challenges all of us to look in the mirror and realize there is so much to be grateful for and so much to strive for each and everyday.

Tomorrow, when Rutgers takes on West Virginia on ABC, Eric will lead his team out of the tunnel, onto the football field because he not only bELieves in himself, he bELieves in his team. And out of all the games I’ve attended over the years, this is one game I won’t miss.  I’ll be there, cheering for Eric and thanking him for inspiring me and others.

Here are this week’s predictions:

This week’s predictions:

College: In keeping with the spirit of today’s blog, I’m picking Rutgers over West Virginia

Professional:  Bengals over Seahawks

Fantasy:  Never underestimate the value of a kicker.  Look at Jacksonville’s kicker Josh Scobee and the impact he had on his team’s victory over Baltimore last week. When the Jag’s offense struggled in the red zone, Josh made three field goals outside 50 yards, with one chip shot from 22 yards out.  If you had Josh Scobee on your team, he averaged more fantasy points then the average running back.