Basketball Player Scores First Points After Crash Put Him in a Coma

Josh Speidel

(FOX 4) – A college basketball player stepped on the court for the first time in his career after almost five years of recovery from a car crash that gave him a traumatic brain injury and put him in a coma for several weeks.

Josh Speidel, a 23-year-old senior at the University of Vermont, scored two points in Tuesday night’s game between the Catamounts and the University at Albany Great Danes.

It was a prearranged moment set up by the coaches of each team.

“UAlbany scored the first basket and then it was Josh’s moment to shine,” Athletic Communications Assistant at University of Vermont, Ryan Manley told CNN.

In February 2015, Josh was in a car crash in his hometown of Columbus, Indiana, that put him in a six-week coma, according to Josh’s mom, Lisa Speidel. CONTINUE