FSU’s final home game win this season over Virginia Tech (34-14) felt different, with Ethan Pritchard back on the sideline. The freshman linebacker arrived in a wheelchair at Doak Campbell Stadium, just months after he survived a gunshot wound to the head on Aug. 31. Pritchard’s return on Friday, for the first time after his gunshot, to visit the team gave them two full days with him, leaving Castellanos teary.

Noles reporter Dustin Lewis’ tweet confirmed it. “It just was a very emotional day for us to be able to see him yesterday,” confessed Castellanos. But it came with a moving tribute to Pritchard. “It means a lot to us…just to see him back out at a game, it’s crazy,” said the FSU QB.

Pritchard spent nearly six weeks fighting through the aftermath of the injury in a hospital room in Tallahassee. From there, he moved to a rehab center in Jacksonville. When he first arrived, he couldn’t move the entire right side of his body. But one morning, everything changed, and he could finally lift his arm. “After that, it just got better and better,” stated the freshman LB. Although he has already planned to play football again, as he told WESH-TV, he’s still not fully healthy. As of now, Pritchard will continue his rehab back home in Central Florida.

While the freshman linebacker’s journey paused before it even began, the senior QB kept pushing to make FSU bowl-eligible for the two remaining games. In the game against Virginia Tech, he capped it with a 16-yard TD run, sealing the win for the Seminoles. But when asked if he believed this was his final game in Doak Campbell Stadium, the QB didn’t dodge the question.

“I don’t know the answer…I’m just living in the moment, man…I trust God and his plan, and whatever he has planned for me,” said Castellanos. Now, Pritchard’s return from that near-fatal accident fits seamlessly with the QB’s deep belief in God. Adding to the good news of the return, the freshman LB is now determined to walk again, as per his dad’s statement.

Ethan Pritchard is on the road to a fast recovery

After surviving a gunshot wound to the head in Havana, Florida, Pritchard seems determined to return to the field. “He shocked the doctors,” his dad, Earl, said. “They didn’t even expect it. But because of his determination, they just sit back and watch like we do. Enjoy the ride.” His rapid recovery is driven by Ethan’s clear goal.

He wants to be back in class in January for FSU’s spring semester and back on the field with the Noles in the fall. “Because he can come do this right here, hang out with his buddies, and be out there on the field with them,” stated Earl. That shared moment with his teammates could give the freshman linebacker an extra push toward his goal.

Then came the good news with a thankful message. “First of all, thank you to all the people that we don’t even know who prayed, still praying, donated, and everything,” mentioned Earl. “It’s all being used on him… He’s going to come to class. Even if he comes in a wheelchair. But I think he’ll be walking by then.”

Through it all, while fans and teammates greeted him with hugs and support, Pritchard’s family and FSU have been by his side. That’s why Earl expressed gratitude to HC Mike Norvell, the staff, and the players, stating, “Florida State is the best. A lot of people talk the talk, but Florida State walks it. They’re good people. Not just Coach Norvell.”

Besides, Ethan’s friends also launched a GoFundMe, raising more than $148,000 to support his medical care. Now, while fans are waiting to see him on the field, we hope we will see him fully healthy next season.