Paralyzed Rutgers Football Player Eric LeGrand Talks About Inspiring Others, Walking Again

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's been four-and-a-half years since Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand suffered a severe spinal cord injury.

But LeGrand says that there's a reason it happened to him -- so he could give hope to the hopeless.

CBS2's Otis Livingston sat down with LeGrand Wednesday during one of his rehab sessions.

Ever since that fateful October day in 2010 when LeGrand was left paralyzed during a Rutgers game, his his field of competition has been rehabilitation three days a week at the Kessler Institute.

LeGrand has been working to regain his strength and ability to move to one day fulfill his dream of walking again.

"When I come out of that corner and into the gym, you see all of the therapists and all the people working, it's like you're walking into an arena...kinda like,"LeGrand told Livingston.

"That's what I lived 15 years of my life — moving more — that's my game day victories right now," LeGrand said.

LeGrand said he's working his butt off on a daily basis because he knows there are others in his situation, like Mikey Nichols, the recently-paralyzed high school hockey player, who are inspired by him.

"I don't take that for granted. To get it done. So when someone like Mikey, I am making a difference in this world," LeGrand said.

"He genuinely wants to help people," said LeGrand's mother Karen. "He genuinely wants to raise awareness. Get up  and walk ... help others by raising funds. That's what he's gonna do."

LeGrand has partnered with many organizations such as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to help spread awarensess, raise funds and look for a cure for paralysis, Livingston reported.

"Whatever I can do I'm all for it because I want to get out of this chair and I know the 5.6 million people are dealing with some type of paralysis want to be able to have that able body again."

"We're going to raise as much money as we can so everybody, not just Eric, everybody can get up out of the wheelchair," said Karen LeGrand.

His fifth-annual "A Walk To Believe" will take place Sunday, June 7 at his alma mater Rutgers University.

For more information on the June 7th walk, click here.