Eric LeGrand
College football star, entrepreneur, motivational speaker
Born: September 4, in Avenel, New Jersey
New Jersey Hall of Fame, Class of 2012: Unsung Hero

In Eric LeGrand’s world, obstacles are transformed into opportunities. And the obstacles he has faced are enormous.

LeGrand learned about overcoming adversity playing sports on the streets of Avenel, his New Jersey hometown. He attended Colonia High School, where he played varsity football and emerged as a defensive star. His next stop was Rutgers University, where he saw action on special teams as a freshman for coach Greg Schiano’s Scarlet Knights football squad.

Hoping to capitalize on LeGrand’s strength and speed, Schiano moved LeGrand to the defensive line for his sophomore season. While only a backup lineman, LeGrand appeared in all 13 games that season, racking up 33 tackles. He also continued his role on kickoff coverage for the Scarlet Knights.

In 2010, as a junior, LeGrand was firmly established as multipurpose star. Then, on October 16, in a game, against Army at MetLife Stadium, LeGrand suffered a severe injury while tackling Army’s kickoff returner.

LeGrand lay on the field, unable to breathe or move anything but his head. He tried to give the fans a thumbs-up sign as he was carted off the field, but his body did not cooperate. LeGrand had fractured his C3 and C4 cervical vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. His mother, Karen LeGrand, was told her son likely would never walk again.

Placed on a respirator to help him breathe, LeGrand began therapy at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. Defying the odds, he began to breathe independently for long periods of time, and promised his mother that he would, someday, walk again. Indeed, over his years of therapy, LeGrand has regained movement in his shoulders and sensation throughout his body. He holds out hope of walking again. “I’m Jersey tough,” he declared at the 2012 New Jersey Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

In the years since his injury, LeGrand, with his broad smile and his deep well of optimism, has served as an inspiration for his fellow Scarlet Knights and for all who face adversity, both physical and psychological. In September 2013, less than three years after LeGrand’s fateful tackle, his Team LeGrand was launched as a fundraising arm for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which works to increase research and improve care for those with spinal-cord injuries. Team LeGrand has raised well over $2 million for the Reeve Foundation since its inception.

LeGrand has become an effective spokesperson for those impacted by paralysis, as well as a sought-after motivational speaker. He also has succeeded as an entrepreneur, launching a clothing brand; a coffee house in Woodbridge; and a LeGrand-branded bourbon whiskey.

For LeGrand, rising above his paralysis is a two-way street. He inspires people with his perseverance; they in turn add meaning to his life.

In his New Jersey Hall of Fame speech, LeGrand declared: “This happened to me for a reason. I’m trying to inspire a nation of people. If I can inspire one person a day, that really keeps me going.”

Intro/Acceptance Video

Vignette