College basketball player scores first career points four years after nearly-fatal car crash
It's often said it's not whether you win or lose that counts. Case in point, what happened Tuesday night when the University of Vermont took on the University at Albany.
The sound of the net and a cheering crowd meant far more than the two points lighting up the scoreboard for University of Vermont basketball player Josh Speidel.
"To be able to look up there and see 32, two points, you know, I can't put into words how it made me feel," Speidel said.
In 2015, the then-high school basketball star — who averaged more than 28 points a game — had just accepted a scholarship to play at Vermont when a nearly-fatal car accident left him in a six-week coma with a traumatic brain injury.
"One of my first questions was, 'Will I play basketball again?'" said Speidel.
Vermont's coach kept Speidel on his scholarship, and Tuesday night, the senior finally made his debut as part of the starting lineup for the Catamounts and scored his first career points with a perfect layup.
"It's just nice to be able to say I ended my college career shooting 100%," Speidel said.
He said it wouldn't have been possible without his team, who each got an assist in the unforgettable play.
"To have all of them touch the ball, it meant a lot for me that they were each a piece of it," he said.