LOOK: Patric Young speaks with Florida basketball team after traumatic injury
Todd Golden and the Florida Gators basketball team brought in former star center Patric Young on Tuesday to talk to the players following his life-altering car accident over the summer. In photos shared by the program, the former Gator sports his infectious smile while chatting with Golden and others in the building.
Since the single-car accident that left him partially paralyzed, Young has been rehabbing in Jacksonville and working towards gaining movement in his toes.
“Thankful to have had Patric Young come speak with us today. You’re an inspiration to all, Gator Great,” the program tweeted.
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The Florida team is preparing for their first season under Todd Golden. They tipoff game one versus Stony Brook on Nov. 7.
Young spent four seasons with the Gators from 2010-14, playing in three straight Elite Eights and the Final Four. He earned a slew of awards as a senior, including NABC Pete Newell Big Man of the Year, AP and Senior CLASS All-American, CoSIDA Academic All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Following his college career, he played six years professionally overseas then joined SEC Network as a college basketball studio analyst.
Young shares recovery process with Paul Finebaum
During an appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show in August, the former Gators center shared the process he’ll go through to attempt to walk again.
“The plan is there’s an awesome neuro-recovery place in Jacksonville that I’ll be going [to] five days a week,” Young told Finebaum. “We’ll begin pool therapy, which has had great results. Again, spinal cord injuries, there’s no telling what can happen. There’s many people that shouldn’t walk again that do and other people that you think are going to walk again but don’t. It could take years, it could take months.
“All I can control, Paul, is going one day at a time and understanding this life I live is so much bigger than myself. How am I showing up for my daughter, how am I showing up for my wife, how am I showing up around my coworkers as a man, regardless of my circumstances? … Those are the things that matter to me because I can only control what I can control and if it’s not in my destiny to walk again, I can still have a great, fruitful life. I swear on my life, I’m going to fight harder than anything.”
On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this report.