‘I’m just happy to walk again’

AUBURN - Zac Etheridge walked into the Auburn athletic complex to see his teammates Tuesday afternoon.

That, in and of itself, Etheridge said, was nothing short of a miracle.

For several minutes Saturday, Etheridge lay paralyzed on the Jordan-Hare Stadium field, unsure if he would ever be able to walk again.

Three days later, he was discussing a potential return to football.

Etheridge acknowledged that talk is getting ahead of the current situation. He is currently wearing a back cervical brace the completely immobilizes his neck, holding his head perfectly still with metal bars strapping to his chest and back. Doctors told him he will need the brace for 3-4 more months.

Still, the brace is a good tradeoff for what Etheridge first feared when he collided with teammate Antonio Coleman during the first quarter of the Ole Miss game.

"As soon as me and AC hit, my body just collapsed," Etheridge said. "I didn't have control of it. All I know is that I was lying on the ground and not able to move. I felt my neck. I didn't think it was serious. I was trying to get up but I couldn't."

"I was in shock just not being able to move, there was a lot going through my mind."

Etheridge tore ligaments in his neck and cracked his fifth vertebra on the play.

Medical personnel immobilized his motionless body by strapping him to a backboard several minutes later.

By the time the medical staff carted Etheridge off the field, he was beginning to regain feeling and movement in his extremities. He even gave a thumbs-up before leaving the field.

"That's when I knew that all the prayers that went up, God answered those that time," Etheridge said.

Etheridge was briefly sent to East Alabama Medical Center, with parents Cassandra and Donald Kelly following the ambulance. Etheridge was later transferred to a Birmingham hospital for additional tests on his neck.

Once Etheridge knew he could walk, doctors had a hard time keeping him in bed.

"They were trying to hold me down," Etheridge said. "I was trying to get up because I knew I had that feeling. At the hospital, they let me out of the bed to walk a little bit - the rest room. Just because I was glad to be able to walk, I was fine with that."

By the time Etheridge was given a diagnosis, he had already asked about playing football again. Doctors tentatively told him it's a possibility, but he needs to go through the recovery process one day at a time.

That process took a big step in the right direction Monday when Etheridge left the hospital without having undergone any surgery.

Tuesday, he made his way back to Auburn, where his teammates greeted him with a warm reception during a team meeting.

Etheridge said it was important for him to return Tuesday - not just to see his teammates, but also to deliver a message to the fans that supported him.

"I want the world to know that I'm fine," he said. "I want to thank everybody for their prayer requests. That helped my family out. They're going through this situation -- especially knowing how much I love this game.

"I can't stay away from the guys long. If I could, I'd dress out today. I'm just happy to walk again."

Though he won't play again this season, Etheridge said, he would definitely be at the Iron Bowl.

Etheridge said he hadn't discussed going back to class yet, but is on schedule to get his degree in December. Now that he's out of the hospital, he plans to adhere to that track.

Part of the reason Etheridge has made the progress he's made is because Ole Miss tailback Rodney Scott didn't try to move Etheridge after the play.

The former Auburn recruit was under Etheridge when he went down with the injury. Doctors told Etheridge that if Scott tried to move him, the injury could have been much more severe.

Etheridge said he planned to contact Scott in the future. He tried to reach Scott on Tuesday, but the true freshman was in class. Etheridge instead extended his gratitude through Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt.

Etheridge doesn't know if he will play again. Either way, the scary injury has made a significant impact on him.

"You never know when your last play will be," Etheridge said. "You never know what's going to happen in life. If I would have known that play was going to happen, I wouldn't have been on the field.

"I'll be fine. I told all the guys - I'll be fine even if I'm not able to play football again. I will still be around Auburn. I will still be an Auburn man."

Luke Brietzke covers Auburn University sports for The Star. He can be reached at 310-3222.