Thankfully, there’s some positive news coming out of a very scary situation.
After sustaining what was described as a head injury on a routine play late in the first half of Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt, Tennessee State middle linebacker Christion Abercrombie made his way to the sidelines where, after complaining of a headache, he quickly collapsed. Abercrombie was administered first aid, including oxygen, before being wheeled off and rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery on his brain.
While Abercrombie remains in Nashville and hospitalized in critical condition, he’s showing signs of improvement according to both a family member and the university’s president.
“It’s been a hard time, but we’re going to get through it,” Abercrombie’s uncle, Kevin Richardson, said at a prayer vigil Tuesday night by way of The Tennessean. “God is here with us and Christion. He knows it, and he’s going to be just fine. He is improving daily, and we’re looking forward to seeing more from him.”
“First (Abercrombie) made it through the surgery,” TSU president Glenda Glover said at the same prayer vigil. “And then he made it through Saturday night. Then he made it through the 24 hours. And then through 48 hours. So as each day (goes by) he continues to show just small signs of improvement. He’s fighting. Christion is a fighter and each day when we see him raise his hand or do any little thing that shows a sign of improvement we’re grateful.”
A GoFundMe page that has been set up by the university has raised nearly $34,000 thus far.
Abercrombie began his collegiate playing career at Illinois, playing in 11 games in 2017 after redshirting as a true freshman in 2016. He transferred to TSU from the Fighting Illini in January of this year, and was the Tigers’ second-leading tackler heading into the Week 5 game.
