Eric LeGrand Speaks At Frelinghuysen And Morristown High School

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Former Rutgers University football player Eric LeGrand, who was paralyzed due to a football injury, will speak to students in the Morris School District later this month. LeGrand will be speaking to grades seventh and eighth at Frelinghuysen Middle School on Wednesday, January 31 and to freshman, juniors and the football team at Morristown High School on Friday, March 2.

LeGrand played football at Rutgers University as a defensive tackle from 2008 to 2010. During a 2010 Rutgers versus Army football game, he suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury, in which Eric became paralyzed. Eric was honored on the cover of Sports Illustrated with “The Best Moment of 2011” and the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPY Awards in 2012. He was then was signed on by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012 as an undrafted free agent and inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017 and received the Warrior Award. Eric graduated Rutgers University in May 2014. Today, Eric is an author, sports analyst, motivational speaker, and a voice for the paralysis community.

Eric is an outspoken advocate for individuals that are affected with spinal cord injuries and disorders. He formed Team LeGrand of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Established in 2013, the proceeds generated from the charity go toward research to find a cure for paralysis and help to improve the quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries.

He is from the Avenel section of Woodbridge, NJ.

“Engaging students to be the best they can be in the face of adversity with courage and perseverance, along with educating the community about spinal cord injury and living with paralysis is a passion of mine," said LeGrand. “I believe that anything can be accomplished through hard work and determination.”

“We believe that all diversity should be celebrated and leveraged in order to enhance our school community,” said Dr. Jessica Neu, Director of Pupil Services at Morris School District. “We are immensely proud to be able to offer our students with an opportunity to hear Eric speak about his experiences, how he is able to inspire and help others through his relentless bravery, resiliency, and determination. These are qualities that we try to instill in all of our students”

The event is sponsored by the Morris Educational Foundation through the McGuinn Family Foundation, Morristown/Morris Township Joint Municipal Alliance, Morris Plains Municipal Alliance and the MEF Student Board. The MEF grant was awarded to the ALL IN Program in the Morris School District. The ALL IN Program was founded by Dr. Jessica Neu in 2014. The mission of this program is to ensure that all students belong and that human relationships are central in student personal development and growth.