Some very sobering news is reverberating out of College Station. The famous 12th man who rallies behind the Texas A&M Aggies is now called into action for one of their own. Rallying behind somebody going through grave adversity. Somebody who remains the No. 1 fan of a former Aggie stalwart in Conner Weigman.

Conner Weigman’s time with Texas A&M was an egregious tryst with “what-ifs.” What if the 5-star quarterback panned out the way he was touted to? What if he didn’t get those injuries at the most inopportune times to shove him back to square one? And what if he stayed his course and didn’t transfer to Houston in the off-season? Weigman’s tenure at A&M ended prematurely, and he’ll largely just be a footnote in the grand scheme of Aggies football. The one that got away. However, he’s still got direct ties to the school and left some residual, if you may. Conner Weigman’s girlfriend is still at A&M, and she’s just been hit with an abrupt calamity.

Hope Griffin, 20, allegedly fell off the roof of her house and suffered a severe injury to her spinal cord. Details around the incident have largely been under wraps to respect the privacy of Griffin and her family. There was initially some chatter about her getting into a car accident, but that has since been dispelled. Hope Griffin is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management. Her family has set up a GoFundMe page in the aftermath of this terribly unfortunate tragedy, which has rendered her potentially unable to walk ever again. Excerpts from the GoFundMe page, which features a picture of a spirited Griffin in the hospital alongside Conner Weigman, are outlined below:

“On May 11th, Hope’s world – and ours – changed in an instant,” read the resounding opening sentence. It mentions how her accident required a Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital. She was admitted to the trauma ICU. “If you know Hope, you know she’s not someone who lets anything dim her light. In true Hope fashion, she’s facing this unimaginable challenge with unwavering strength, faith, determination, and yes—even a smile. That smile is warm, contagious, and full of light. Even in the ICU, she’s been telling her doctors, ‘I will walk again.’- And we believe her,” it reads. That final bit is out-and-out emotional. Although this happened a little over a week ago, it’s understandable that social media is only just becoming privy to it.

“We are raising funds to support Hope and her family as they navigate this new reality. Her path forward includes surgeries, ongoing medical care, intensive rehab & physical therapy, adaptive equipment, and home modifications to help support her journey to regain full mobility. Every dollar will go directly to her medical expenses, rehabilitation, travel needs, and the specialized care she’ll need to make a full recovery. We want her family to focus on what truly matters: healing, faith, and being together,” proceeded the GoFundMe description. Hopefully, the Griffin family can garner as much help as they need and more. Both financially and morally.

Conner Weigman and the rest of the football sphere spring into charitable action

This is certainly not the time to spill preachy commentary in hindsight, which is inadvertently going to happen online. But, while it’s unwise to draw any sort of parallels at this sensitive juncture, Conner Weigman’s healthy NIL evaluation and purse will maybe factor into helping Hope Griffin. Which almost single-handedly legitimizes its advent. Again, this isn’t the time for any sort of macro football commentary. But it is a perspective worth keeping in mind. For context, Weigman’s NIL valuation is north of half a million. Sports Illustrated reports it to be at $628,000, with big-name brands like Hellman’s Mayonnaise baked into the equation.

Hope Griffin’s unwavering spirit in the face of this travesty really does make you root for her at full pelt, despite not necessarily having any sort of interpersonal connection. A multitude of aggregators on X with substantial follow counts have relayed the GoFundMe page to the masses in support of Griffin. Most of which are accounts affiliated with Texas A&M in some form. The alumni base is really leading the charge on the donation front, and it continues to widen its footprint nationally. We wish Hope Griffin receives all the requisite treatment and aid and comes back doubly strong. Her spine is harmed, but her spirit evidently isn’t.