After his athletic career was cut short five years ago, Josh Speidel scored a basket in the opening second on his senior night at Vermont.
Scheduled to attend Vermont as one of the school’s marquee recruits, Speidel was a highly-coveted three-star recruit. The 6-foot-7 forward was heavily pursued by mid-major schools. Adidas invited him to their All-American camp the summer before his senior season.
A car accident changed everything.
The wreck left Speidel in a coma. He was unable to speak for more than 10 weeks. College basketball was no longer a viable option.
Speidel recovered enough to resume his life and attend Vermont as a student. But he was never able to recover enough to play college basketball at the Division I level.
College Basketball Scoreboard
That changed for Speidel on Tuesday night. With Vermont celebrating Senior Night, and Speidel set to graduate from the school this spring, the Catamounts and Albany concocted a special plan to honor Josh.
Speidel started the game and scored his first, and only, career college bucket to begin the contest.
THE MOMENT JOSH SPEIDEL SCORED A BASKET
This is one of the many reasons why sports, and college basketball, can be so special. Josh Speidel had a dream taken from him. But he worked hard enough to recover and continue his life. And now, Speidel at least had a chance for a special moment to honor his hard work the final home game of his Vermont career.
