College Football Player Lost Everything But His Ambition During a Game That Left Him Paralyzed

Chris Norton from Decorah, Iowa, was an incredibly avid college athlete with a promising future in football. But in spite of being so driven, his whole life was turned upside down after a shocking loss.

Even though his time in the football field has ended, he created a new life for himself after facing incredible tragedy.

He Had a Promising Future

At the time, 18-year-old Chris Norton from Decorah, Iowa, was a freshman at Luther College who thought he had had a promising career in football–his favorite sport. He was so driven that no one could have foreseen the cruel twist of events life had in store for him.

The Game Changed His Life

On October, 16, 2010, Norton was on the football field, playing against Central College. He was a trained athlete, but nothing could have prepared him for what happened in the third quarter of that unforgettable game.

His Body Shut Down on Him

Just six weeks into his freshman year, Norton mistimed a play in the third quarter. He’d already trained hundreds of times, but his miscalculation led to a horrible spinal cord injury. Suddenly, the whole stadium got very quiet.

But the 18-year-old was too busy wondering why he was lying on the ground feeling as if his body had shut down. He was scared. Sadly, this was only the beginning of his story.

He Couldn’t Get up Again

Norton had tried everything to get himself off the ground, but nothing was happening. “I’m trying to push [myself up] off the ground, but nothing’s working. I prayed to God to please let me just get up and walk off the field,” he remembers.

But sadly, he wouldn’t get to walk away on that fateful day.