He cheatedthe grim reaper and has walked through the valley of the shadow of death, andhe feared no evil. The hard part is now over.
Now, he toils to reforge his bodyinto that of an unconquered warrior.
Advertisement
FloridaState linebacker Ethan Pritchard has willed his way back from a gunshot woundto the head, to being able to take steps without the assistance of a walker. Thisis the result of months of rehab and a strong sense of faith, and has led toPritchard being named to the Comeback Player of the Year watch list.
Afterbeating the Alabama Crimson Tide by two touchdowns in Week 1 last season, thejoyous celebration that followed was interrupted by tragedy. While traveling ina moving vehicle, shots rang out, one striking Pritchard. Once his vital signsstabilized at the hospital, he spent months in intensive care, followed by strenuousrehab at a facility in Jacksonville.
Pritchardcontinues to regain his strength on the weight pile in the football facility oncampus, a testament to his desire to be reborn as a football player in thegarnet and gold. A timetable for that return to the field is uncertain, butPritchard continues to make great progress in his recovery, and remains aninspiration to his coaches and teammates, and a grateful fan base. As a result,he was awarded the Doc Fauls Rise Above Adversity Award, and took steps onstage with the aid of a walker to accept the award from coach Mike Norvell.
At6-foot-2, 224 pounds as an incoming freshman last season, Pritchard was the No.27 linebacker in the country by Rivals. He chose the Seminoles over Florida,Miami and UCF. Pritchard joins receiver Duce Robinson, defensive back Ja’Bril Rawls,running backs Ousmane Kromah and Quintrevion Wisner, punter Daniel Hughes and placekicker Gabe Panikowski in representing Florida State by being honored withpreseason accolades.
Advertisement
WhilePritchard refused to be another statistic and began his journey in the gridironcrucible, Norvell bolstered the linebacking corps by securing the services ofChris Jones, a transfer linebacker from Southern Miss. Jones tackled everyonein his path, including the water boy, to be ranked No. 7 in the nation with 10stops per game. 135 tackles later, Jones found himself suited up for theSeminoles, ready to carry on the legacy of what it means to be a linebacker atFlorida State.
Pritchard worksharder every day as a means to an end, to walk out the tunnel with histeammates on Aug. 29 when the Seminoles host New Mexico State to kick off the2026 season.
No doubt, the image of Pritchard of walking under his own power tocheer on his teammates will unleash the war chant in a great vocal cataclysm notheard within the great edifice that is Doak Campbell Stadium in quite sometime.
