In a tale of resilience and overcoming all odds, Ethan Pritchard just took his first steps without a walker after a life-altering tragedy. The Florida State linebacker is seen walking just 10 months after a near-fatal incident.

In a 16-second video shared by Montrail T. Harris last week, a smiling Pritchard took small and slow steps with a walker. He only held onto the chairs beside him for occasional support. He then posed for a photo before receiving a hug from a family member. 

“God did it!!! Walk in victory nephew,” Harris originally posted on Facebook on June 15.

This is a major milestone in his life, not just because he lived after a dangerous run-in. Pritchard walked again just a day before his 19th birthday, as reported by WTOC.

On the night of August 31, Pritchard was driving his aunt and a child home after a family cookout. He was struck in the back of the head during a drive-by s******* en route to his aunt’s apartment in Havana, Florida. 

He was admitted to the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital for around six weeks. According to ESPN, Florida State made a statement on his condition and said that he was “alert, responsive and able to communicate.” Pritchard was then moved to Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville to begin the next stages of recovery. 

A week after the shocking incident, authorities held a press conference and addressed what had transpired. 

“They were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Keith Wilmer with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said. 

Authorities had arrested four people in relation to the case. Meanwhile, Pritchard was making slow and steady progress. He relied on a walker to move around and even visited his program. 

Pritchard received a warm and thunderous welcome when he led his team in the Legacy Walk before their game against the Virginia Tech Hokies. His return to the field remains unknown, but he has left a mark on the Florida State Seminoles. 

Ethan Pritchard’s football career so far

In the 2025 season, Ethan Pritchard was a freshman. He was nominated for the Orange Bowl Courage Award. He also received an FSU team honor in the form of the Monk Bonasorte Award.

Before FSU, Pritchard was a four-star recruit from Seminole High School in Sanford. He was ranked 437 overall by 247 Sports in their composite ranking. He held the 39th place nationally as a linebacker. 

He led the Seminoles to a 10-2 record and the second consecutive regional final in 2024. He had tallied 39 tackles with seven tackles for loss (TFL) in nine games. He finished his junior year with 75 tackles, 11 TFL, and one fumble recovery.

He changed his position from linebacker to safety in his sophomore year and committed to his program in October 2023. 

Pritchard still has a long way to go with his recovery and return to the giridion, but he has taken the first step towards it. What do you think of his journey?

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar