Former Hoover High Football Star Returns Home

HOOVER, AL - Ben Abercrombie returned home Monday for the first time since suffering a major spinal cord injury during a football game for Harvard in September. He was discharged from the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Many of his relatives, friends and former teammates were at his home to greet him.

"I can't wait to get inside," Abercrombie told reporters in the driveway of his home.

Abercrombie, a star safety on the Bucs football team, was successful in gaining admission to Harvard, earning an academic scholarship, and also made the football team as a defensive back. But in his collegiate debut vesus Rhode Island on Sept. 16 in Providence he sustained the injury making a tackle in the second quarter.

Abercrombie received therapy six days a week at the Shepherd Center. The cost of his recovery has grown, but the Hoover community and the Harvard Varsity Club, among others, are raising donations to help cover costs. Abercrombie also has a GoFundMe page.

Family members say his condition has improved, but he still must use a ventilator for breathing. The family's Hoover home has been redesigned to accommodate his wheelchair.

Image via GoFundMe