College graduation ceremonies are an epic moment in a college student’s life. If anyone knows this, it’s Ty Williams. But the ceremony itself isn’t just about walking up to the stage and receiving a diploma. It’s a tribute to all the tough work that went into achieving this accomplishment. For Ty Williams, this wasn’t just a graduation. He had managed to do a lot more than earn a degree. He was able to overcome the odds that were not necessarily in his favor, but the football player, who had been paralyzed, managed to do something that shocked everyone when he went on stage.Ty Williams was a great student, but he was also an accomplished athlete as well. As a linebacker for Georgetown University’s football team, he had an amazing career ahead of him, but he never imagined that anything could go wrong.
They were going to Pennsylvania to participate in the football season opener. But then something went terribly wrong during what was supposed to be a routine tackle. This proved to be a real game and life changer for Williams.
Williams’ vertebrate had been shattered during the tackle, and everyone watching the game knew that something wasn’t right. Ironically, the entire stadium had gone “ooh,” when it happened, but he was the one who had the most to lose.
He was paralyzed and his doctors warned him that he might never regain the use of his legs ever again. It was really a game of wait and see. Williams claimed that doctors told him: “They tell you what heals, will heal, whenever it decides to, so there’s no guarantee that I ever get [better].”
He went through a grueling rehabilitation process in the hopes that he would one day walk again. He even admitted that there were some days that weren’t easy, but he wasn’t willing to accept that his situation was permanent.
He still had his sense of humor. In fact, according to his teammate, Matthew Buckman, “It’s like things never changed no matter [what was] going on.” Then, last June, he was invited to his old high school as a commencement speaker where he reminded students that they were their own number one motivators.
Williams recalled that all he heard was the applause as he stood up and accepted his diploma. He also received a standing ovation. But he told ABC News that it was those closest to him that motivated him to do this. Meanwhile, his Georgetown coach, Rob Sgarlata, hopes Williams will make a full recovery.
**Georgetown student Ty Williams will have you believing in miracles after he stood up in order to get his college diploma. Ironically, doctors told him a football injury would leave him paralyzed for life.**