My Story

By: David Roane

At age fourteen I attended Lake Clifton High in Baltimore, Maryland. During my freshmen year of high school I was athletic and enjoyed playing football for the team. When I turned fifth teen, I received a call from my brother (Edward Overton) whom told me that he would like for me to come to Hays, Kansas and play football there. After moving to Kansas, I attended Hays High School, quickly I tried out for the football team. In the Midwest high school games were as big as Monday night football where the whole town attended. It was quite different then Baltimore City, so my dreams of attending Miami University and being drafted to the NFL grew stronger.

Life was good and going smooth until November 16, 2000 when I was involved in a automobile accident on the way to school. While listening to the radio, a teammate of mine (Daniel) was driving when he ran through a stop sign and hit a suburban. At this time I tried to get out the car when Daniel told me to keep still because my head was hung over. At this time I knew something was wrong. An emergency helicopter arrived and flew me to Wichita, Kansas.

In Wichita, Kansas, I received hours of surgery on my neck. Shortly after, I was told that I received an incomplete spinal cord injury between C3 and C5. Knowing nothing about spinal cord injuries, I thought it was an injury that I could quickly overcome. My surgeon told me that it’s a possibility that I would never move anything below my neck. The most devastating news that I’ve ever received is when he said that my days of playing football were over. I felt like my life was over and my sights were set to return back to Baltimore.

When arriving to Baltimore, I was sent to Kennedy Krieger Institute. Although my life as a football player was over, I had to come up with a plan to go back to school and survive with the injury I received. It started by taking classes in the hospital while receiving therapy. Quickly after spending over six months in the hospital and two at my mother’s apartment, I was sent to a group home in Randallstown, Maryland. In Randallstown I attended Randallstown High School where I finished my Jr. and Sr. year. I completed high school on time as planned and rolled across the stage receiving my high school diploma in 2003. I graduated from Coppin State University in May of 2007 with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. I will complete Graduate School in May of 2009 with a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice.

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