Football player injured in UGA game reaches major milestone in recovery

ATLANTA — The Southern University football player who was paralyzed during a game against the University of Georgia is making significant progress in his recovery.

Devon Gales suffered a severe spinal injury after a collision with Bulldogs kicker Marshall Morgan during the game on Sept. 26, 2015.

He was moved to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for therapy in October.

Gales said he now has feeling in his legs that he did not have before. He said he shocked himself when he moved his leg for the first time.

“I was able to move it. We were just playing around and I said, ‘Let’s try it,’ and I tried it and I almost cried,” he said.

Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes visited Gales on Thursday during one of his physical therapy sessions.

He is using a machine to help him stand after spending the past nine months in a wheelchair.

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“It felt good just to have all the blood flowing, to have pressure in my knees,” Gales said.

Gales said it’s been a long process, but he knows he will walk again.

“It’s been a long journey and through prayer and just determination, anything is possible,” he said. “I knew I was going to walk again. This is just another process of me getting up on my feet.”

Cox Media Group