What began as a frightening scene Friday night in Toccoa ended with an answered prayer Sunday, as Union County sophomore linebacker Braxton Miller returned home after losing feeling in his legs following a collision at Stephens County.
Miller was airlifted from Stephens County High School on Friday night, with a helicopter landing beside the stadium during the game as emergency personnel rushed to get him to Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Atlanta.
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Upon arriving at the hospital, Miller immediately began showing signs of recovery, Union County head coach Rob Stowe said. Around 2 a.m. Saturday, Miller was able to bend his knees. Two hours later, feeling had returned to both legs, and by 9 a.m., he was able to walk. Miller was released from the hospital around noon Sunday and returned home.
“It’s a miracle,” Stowe said. “A lot of people have been praying all over the state. I was in church and I got an email from a TV station in South Carolina asking how he’s doing. So as the kids would say, ‘It’s gone viral.’
“People that we don’t even know have been praying and lifting him up. I’m a believer, and I believe that maybe when he left that field Friday, it was nothing but divine intervention that got him home today.”
The hit occurred late in the first half as Stephens County was driving into Union County territory. While attempting to make a tackle, Miller collided with a teammate, creating what Stowe described as a “whiplash” situation.
“Best I can tell, as he’s going to make a tackle, the ball carrier, (fellow linebacker) Micah Wallace and Braxton are all getting to the same spot at the same time,” Stowe said. “And basically, he was whiplashed backward and the neurologist called it a ‘spinal cord concussion.’ It’s like when your brain has a concussion and shuts down, that’s kind of what his spine did.”
Following the collision, Miller lay motionless on the field, unable to feel his legs, prompting an extended delay. With the stadium quiet and both sidelines kneeling in prayer, medical personnel tended to Miller before he was carried by stretcher to an ambulance parked on site. Initial reports indicated he would be taken to Gainesville by ambulance, but as the third quarter got underway, a helicopter could be seen circling the stadium.
As the chopper got lower and lower, the realization began to sink in along the Union County sideline: it was coming to pick up their teammate.
“I heard the same thing (about Miller going to Gainesville), then I noticed the helicopter, and I thought, ‘They are about to land right here,’” Stowe said. “Then after it landed, one of the coaches told me that they decided to airlift him.”
Moments after the helicopter departed, Union County senior Sir Zion Thomson took a hard hit while catching a pass over the middle, resulting in an ambulance ride to Gainesville. According to Stowe, Thomson was released around 2 a.m. Saturday after being diagnosed with a concussion, and Stowe said he could return to action in two weeks.
Both Miller and Thomson told Stowe they plan to return to practice as soon as possible. Their coach, however, urged them not to rush anything.
“Just like Braxton, Sir is ready to get back out on the field,” Stowe said. “I told them, ‘Just listen to your doctor. I know you want to play, and we’re not doubting your courage, but follow the doctor’s advice.’”
The Panthers have been battered by injuries through the first three weeks, losing starting quarterback Kamden Kendrick, running back Bentley Rich and starting left tackle Logan Clason to injury.
Union County also suffered a blow over the summer when junior Hudson Collins suffered a broken leg in a jet ski accident. Then, before the Stephens County game, junior Mikey Davis injured his knee.
With the exception of Clason, every other player listed above is expected to return within a month, giving Union County hope of entering the final stretch of the season at full strength.
“Everyone is still on schedule to be back in either late September or early October – we might end up being the healthiest team in the region for the last three games,” Stowe said with a laugh.
