Vermont's Josh Speidel Scores 1st Career Points Since Traumatic Brain Injury
By GIANNI VERSCHUEREN
Former 3-star recruit Josh Speidel scored his first career points for Vermont on Tuesday, making his first start since suffering a traumatic brain injury five years ago.
In a Senior Day matchup with Albany, Speidel got the start and converted the team's first shot of the game in a prearranged moment:
Vermont went on to beat Albany 85-62.
Per ESPN's Myron Medcalf, Speidel was a standout at Columbus North High School in Indiana, averaging over 28 points per game during his senior season. But on Super Bowl Sunday in 2015, the Vermont commit suffered traumatic brain damage in a car crash that left him in a coma for five weeks.
Doctors told his parents their son might live the rest of his days in a vegetative state, need 24-hour care and never read above a fourth-grade level:
According to Medcalf, he will graduate with a 3.4 GPA this year.
After the game, the senior joked he considered missing his shot so he could grab a rebound:
It was an emotional night, according to UVM:
Vermont will start the America East Tournament as the top seed and face Maine in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
First Reported in: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2879167-vermonts-josh-speidel-scores-1st-career-points-since-traumatic-brain-injury