Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sign Paralyzed Rutgers Defensive Tackle

Eric LeGrand was a defensive tackle for Rutgers University when an on-the-field spinal cord injury ended his playing career and left him paralyzed. LeGrand’s coach at Rutgers, Greg Schiano, recently became the newest head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, Schiano and the Buccs have gone out and signed LeGrand to a professional contract. He was initially told that he’d be a quadriplegic and require a ventilator to breathe. Since then, he began breathing on his own, was able to stand upright with the help of a metal frame, and led the Rutgers Scarlet Knights onto the field for a game in 2011. LeGrand will never play a down for the Buccs, but Schiano said that the undrafted rookie exemplifies what he’s looking for in “Buccaneer Men.” [ESPN]