Miracle in the Making: The Adam Taliaferro Story($6.99Value)

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Adam Taliaferro had it all: smarts, an easy-going personality, and incomparable athletic ability. None of that seemed to matter, however, on that fateful September day when his father was given startling news: Do not expect your son to walk. Ever. Since that numbing day, Taliaferro, the Penn State freshman cornerback who was paralyzed after he tackled an Ohio State running back, has defied the odds. Before he had spinal-fusion surgery, he made a vow to his mother: “Mom, I'm not going out like this.” Three months later, he walked out of a Philadelphia hospital on crutches, determined to complete his amazing recovery, making the name “Adam Taliaferro” synonymous with courage and perseverance. On September 23, 2000, Penn State freshman football player Adam Taliaferro's athletic career came to a screeching halt when he tackled an opponent headfirst. They said he would never walk again, but Adam set out to prove them wrong. This account of a young man's journey from hope to despair to hope again is inspiring on so many counts. There is the devotion of Adam's family, his parents and his awestruck little brother; there is the ongoing commitment of the coaches, primarily the legendary Joe Paterno (who contributes a touching foreword); there is the dedication of the numerous doctors, physical therapists, trainers, and rehabilitative nurses who saw Adam through to his recovery; and, of course, there is Adam himself, whose drive and hard work made the miracle possible. On September 1, 2000, Adam led the Penn State Nittany Lions on the field to start a new season. A genuinely inspirational story. Mary Frances Wilkens Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Miracle in the Making The Adam Taliaferro Story By Scott Brown, Sam Carchidi Triumph Books Copyright © 2009 Scott Brown and Sam Carchidi All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-57243-422-6 Contents Foreword, Acknowledgments, 1. Death of a Dream, 2. The Star Without a Trace, 3. Trying to Stay Positive, 4. Roots of Strength, 5. Unhappy Valley, 6. Doctors' Dilemma: Hope or False Hope, 7. Hellfires of 2000, 8. From South Jersey, with Love, 9. Feeling Home at Magee, 10. A Buddy for Life, 11. Making Lemonade ... and a Miracle, 12. Tunnel Vision, 13. Miracle on Race Street, 14. Maxwell Club Magic, 15. Completing the Circle, Epilogue, Postscript, Photo Gallery, CHAPTER 1 Death of a Dream Get up, Adam Taliaferro kept repeating to himself. Get up ! The Penn State freshman cornerback had just made a helmet-first tackle and, as he pleaded for assistance and his arms flailed uncontrollably, his body felt glued to the ground by an unknown force. Help was coming. Penn State's trainer ran onto the wet Ohio State football field and held Taliaferro's head. Wayne Sebastianelli, the Penn State doctor, was right behind him. Sebastianelli calmly started giving Taliaferro stern, lifesaving instructions. "Concentrate on me, Adam," Sebastianelli said. "Focus on my eyes." "Help me up," Taliaferro said. "Do not move," Sebastianelli cautioned. "Do not try to get up. Do not move your head from side to side." This scene took place during the waning minutes of a one-sided Ohio State victory. No one cared about the score — or that it would become the most lopsided loss in Joe Paterno's 35 years as Penn State's coach. Players held hands. Most knelt and prayed. Some cried. "Stop rolling your shoulders," Sebastianelli said firmly but gently as he tried to alleviate the fear in Taliaferro's chocolate-brown eyes. "We need to keep you still." Ever since he was six years old, Adam had known that he would play in the NFL someday. That was before he became a New Jersey high school football sensation, before he earned a full scholarship to play for Penn State's highly distinguished football program. But now, as he lay on the ground, there were more important issues concerning the quiet and lovable 18-year-old. None concerned the NFL. "I couldn't feel anything except my head and face," Taliaferro said later. "I didn't know what I had done to myself. It felt like my whole body was broken." Taliaferro, a sleek and speedy 5'11", 183-pounder, had just tackled a 231-pound running back; the violent impact had caused his neck to snap backward. Though woozy, his first instinct told him to pop off the ground like he had done thousands of other times. Get up, he told himself as he stared at the sky while prone on his back. Mom is watching on TV, and you know how she gets. Get up and show her you're OK. Show Dad, Alex, and the millions of people watching across the nation, too. Show the 98,124 fans at Ohio Stadium that this is just a minor setback, that you can walk off the field and give a polite wave for their support. Taliaferro didn't remember the hit. All he could remember was waking up on the ground. Waking up and asking for someone to take his hand and pull him up. Waking up and wondering why, for the first time in his life, he had no control