Bobby Roundtree, paralyzed ex-Illinois football star, is down but never out

The boats dropped anchor within the Intracoastal Waterway close to John’s Cross in Madeira Seaside, Florida, a whole lot of parents gathered for a sandbar social gathering. Music thumped. Alcohol was in abundance. Many revelers jumped off boats and into the water. Bobby Roundtree did it as soon as, twice, a number of occasions. However then the tide went out. The water shallowed. Roundtree, Illinois’ star defensive finish, jumped one time too many.

It was Might 18, 2019, when Roundtree’s physique — and life as he knew it — was shattered. Right away, a 21-year-old who’d turn into a fearsome go rusher as a sophomore and dreamed of enjoying within the NFL went from prospect to paralyzed. Soccer, gone. Strolling, gone. Independence, gone. All of it, changed by an alien mix of disappointment, uncertainty and, certainly, new ambitions.

Roundtree intends to stroll once more.

“I do know I’ll,” he says.

In the meanwhile, he needs to inform his personal story. A pending civil swimsuit introduced by Roundtree in Pinellas County, Florida, a duplicate of which was obtained by the Solar-Instances, makes it troublesome for him to debate his accident, however he has an open nicely of ideas, emotions and hopes about life as he is aware of it now. And he’s sharing it on his personal, unfiltered by coaches, public-relations workers or anybody else at Illinois, a want he made clear in a current textual content trade — initiated by him — that started, “When are we going to do this story?”

“They’re coping with soccer,” he says. “And I need to do that for me.”

NOW 22, ROUNDTREE LIVES in Clearwater Seaside, Florida, along with his mom, Jacqueline Hearns, who goes by Jill. Roundtree’s youthful sister, Zhane, and her two kids are also there. Jill wished all of them hunkered down collectively throughout the pandemic.

Roundtree is an incomplete quadriplegic. He has appreciable use of his higher physique however not of his legs or his fingers, which limits him in myriad irritating methods. He likes to work out and does in order typically as he can — “That’s how I let issues out and really feel higher,” he says — however a COVID-19 world has stored him inside the home excess of he needs to be.

“I imagine I might’ve been additional alongside strength-wise, might’ve been extra impartial,” he says. “I additionally really feel if the COVID wasn’t round, others would be capable of come see me extra.”

He’s nonetheless an Illinois pupil, taking just a few courses and pointing towards a significant in sports activities administration, however he isn’t having a straightforward go of it academically. If he might use his fingers somewhat than a mouth stick— a mouthpiece related to a stylus — college can be a lot extra satisfying.

“It’s only a lot,” he says. “I used to be good with college earlier than. I might all the time attempt to flip in work just a few days earlier than it was due. Now it’s robust and it’s irritating.”

He’s nonetheless part of the Illini soccer household, watching all of the video games he can and protecting in contact with teammates and coaches right here and there, however he doesn’t really feel as related as he used to. Soccer, college, life — perhaps they’ve all simply sort of gotten in the way in which. It’s not the simplest factor for him to precise and clarify.

“I assume I really feel sort of overlooked quite a bit,” he says. “Once I was up and transferring, enjoying soccer, everybody was round me, everyone beloved me. Then one thing like this occurred. A variety of guys — associates, coaches —they don’t attain out as a lot. A few of them say they don’t know what to say once they attain out to me. I inform them I perceive.

“I simply sort of maintain it in. I inform my mother I don’t perceive why a few of them don’t attain out to me extra. She says, ‘You’ve received to maintain pushing. You’ll be able to’t be upset. Simply maintain pushing.’ ”

HEARNS WAS PANICKING. She was choosing up Chinese language meals for dinner when she received the decision that her son was in a hospital in St. Petersburg, 10 miles from John’s Cross. She was in Clearwater, about twice that distant.

“They wouldn’t say if he was lifeless or alive,” she says, “simply that it was severe and I wanted to get there.”

When she arrived, a physician took her right into a room adjoining to her son’s, sat her down and crammed her in. Roundtree couldn’t really feel something under his chest. However she might hear him in his mattress answering questions — he’d given the hospital her quantity — and the sound of his voice steadied her. Earlier than lengthy, she was joined at Roundtree’s bedside by former Iowa and NFL security Marcus Paschal, who was Roundtree’s coach at Largo (Florida) Excessive College.

“Me and his mother had been the primary two to see him,” Paschal says. “That actually weighed on me closely.”

Inside a few days, Illini coaches now with him, too, Roundtree was out of surgical procedure and being advised he would possibly by no means stroll once more.

“He simply stored telling me, ‘I’ll be OK, mother. I’ll be OK. I’ll stroll once more. I’ll be again on the sector,’ ” Hearns says. “I belief and imagine he’s going to stroll once more.”

ROUNDTREE PREFERS NOT to recount the occasions of his tragedy or to comb by means of the main points of his swimsuit towards Garrison Martin and his firms USA Coastal Marine and USA Coastal Yacht Gross sales, in addition to the Mad Seaside Dive Bar and the Mad Seaside Craft Brewing Administration Firm. With respect to his needs, we are going to accomplish that solely briefly right here.

In keeping with the grievance, the defendants organized and hosted the John’s Cross Sandbar Occasion, invited Roundtree and used his title and likeness as advertising instruments. Martin picked up Roundtree in his automotive, stopped to buy alcohol on the way in which to John’s Cross after which drove them out to the social gathering in his boat.

It was Roundtree’s first time to the sandbar, in line with the grievance, and he was “inexperienced with boats, tides, water depths, sandbars, and the intracoastal waterway.” Martin supplied “extreme quantities” of alcohol on the boat, together with to Roundtree.

It was off Martin’s boat that Roundtree jumped. In keeping with the grievance, witnesses received an injured Roundtree — who was listed at 6-5, 255 in his sophomore season — again onto the boat, the place Martin tried to dissuade visitors from calling for emergency assist and refused to move him to shore.

Marine models from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s workplace sped out to his assist as an alternative. Martin declined to remark for this story.

ELEVEN TATTOOS ADORN Roundtree’s physique, essentially the most outstanding one protecting his full chest with the phrases “In God We Belief” surrounded by feathers and clouds. On his proper ribs sits “Jill” with a crown over it, befitting a queen. On his proper arm sleeve, “Dream Chaser” is written. On his proper biceps, one he received earlier than his highschool commencement: “Centered on the Mission.”

That final tattoo has a deeper which means to him now. The mission has grown. It boils down to 1 phrase above all others: independence.

In 2017, Roundtree was the primary Illini true freshman defensive finish in 37 years to start out a season opener. In 2018, he led the crew in sacks, tackles for loss and passes damaged up and gained the crew’s Dick Butkus Award as its prime defensive participant. With good purpose, he believed he’d make it to the NFL.

He seemed ahead to proudly owning a few houses, one on the seaside, one other with land throughout him. 4-wheelers, a pleasant pool, a scorching tub. A number of touring with household.

“Simply dwelling comfortably,” he says.

Life is something however snug for him now. At night time, Roundtree listens to music — Kevin Gates, Jackboy, Kodak Black — till sleep takes him. He desires about independence.

“Simply with the ability to get up and get myself dressed, not need assistance to make use of the restroom, to brush my very own enamel,” he says. “I would love to have the ability to feed myself. To only get out and be working, doing stuff I don’t want no help for.”

He imagines being again on his toes, a father, and enjoying basketball along with his youngster. He hopes to be married sometime, however for now he’s single — “I don’t need to carry something on anyone else,” he says — and specializing in his well being.

“I get lonely as a result of I can’t exit and do what I used to do,” he says. “However I simply hearken to music, be on Instagram everyone else having enjoyable. It sort of brings me again to the scenario I’m in, but it surely additionally makes me need to push more durable.

“I do get jealous, however that simply makes me need to go exhausting once more. All the things that I like and need to do, it simply makes me need to go more durable. I attempt to not discuss it quite a bit, don’t put my head there. It doesn’t make me unhappy or something. I simply attempt to keep sane and hungry.”

And the four-wheelers, the pool, the recent tub and all that? He nonetheless needs all of it. He’s on a mission.

AT HIS STRONGEST, Roundtree might bench 225 kilos 17 occasions and squat 400 kilos. They weren’t NFL Scouting Mix-level numbers, however he was nonetheless early in his school profession. He wasn’t an elite recruit or a bodily monster popping out of Largo.

“He actually didn’t perceive what he had as a participant,” Paschal says. “However I leaned on him, and he trusted me. He received himself on a monitor to be nice.”

At Illinois, Roundtree hit the bottom working and labored on the highest stage. It was uncommon and valuable. As he sees it, he was nicely forward of the curve.

“I really feel like some guys on the crew don’t love soccer like I do,” he says. “Some guys don’t take it as severe. I took it very severe. I actually wished to play within the NFL. I wished to be a frontrunner.

“While you like it and truly put time into it, you hearken to teaching and put in additional work exterior of what the crew has to do. You’re simply having enjoyable. You’re competing and don’t have to look at anyone else play. You need to be on the market, don’t need to be on the bench. That’s what I didn’t perceive about some guys.”

Roundtree’s work ethic and drive grew to become evident to Shoshana Clark, a bodily therapist at Chicago’s Shirley Ryan Capability Lab. He rehabbed there after leaving the hospital in Florida and labored together with her for about six months on little, huge issues like going from mendacity right down to sitting up and, ultimately, transferring from an influence wheelchair to a guide one. Roundtree constructed up arm power, core power, stability and endurance. At first within the guide chair, he’d go 5-10 toes and be exhausted. Earlier than leaving, he might software round the entire joint prefer it was a stroll within the park.

The ability chair? He has it at dwelling in Clearwater. It would as nicely be an finish desk, as a result of he by no means, ever makes use of it.

“Particularly for somebody of his stage of harm, I really feel like he exceeded my unique objectives for him,” Clark says. “It was great to work with him. You’ll be able to positively inform he has that athlete mentality. If he has a aim, he’s going to work towards it extraordinarily exhausting daily.”

In Florida, the place he has been since July, Roundtree’s rehab got here underneath the care of power and conditioning coach Khahn Vo.

“Actually each single time he got here in, he was able to work — no complaints,” Vo says. “One in every of my favourite guys I’ve ever labored with. You possibly can all the time inform he had a special mindset from anyone within the middle as a result of he aspired to be an expert athlete. He was an ideal man for our program.”

Roundtree is set to get into the Miami Challenge to Treatment Paralysis, this system on the College of Miami famously recognized for late Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Nick Buoniconti’s management. The pandemic retains messing along with his mission, however there’s a variety of canine left in him. Know that.

HEARNS IS SWEATING, however this occurs routinely when she hundreds her son into their Land Rover utilizing a contraption known as a Hoyer Affected person Elevate. She is 5-9, robust and endlessly dedicated to the son she describes as a finest good friend, however she is his sole caregiver. Which means waking him up and giving him his drugs, fixing him breakfast, feeding him, cleansing him, clothes him, taking him to remedy, showering him — it by no means stops.

She’s high-quality with that. Greater than high-quality, actually.

“I’m sustaining,” she says, “and Bobby helps me keep optimistic.”

Hearns, 42, was a licensed nursing assistant in her 20s and later grew to become a licensed medical assistant, so it is a bit up her alley. However she is unable to work, her mornings, afternoons and evenings spoken for.

“I simply attempt to go about our life one of the simplest ways I can, you realize?” she says. “I attempt to keep optimistic although I is perhaps somewhat depressed. However I attempt to maintain him transferring. I don’t take into consideration what it seems like in different individuals’s eyes. I simply care about Bobby.”

She is Roundtree’s hero and champion. He by no means preferred to want anybody, to ask for assist, however she makes it simple. He sees her, although. Sees her ache. Sees her exhaustion. Sees her sweat.

“I simply see that she’s damage simply because I’m her first youngster and going by means of one thing like this,” Roundtree says. “I see her frustration. I attempt to maintain her calm and inform her I’m OK, to not fear.”

Funds are a frightening concern. Hearns has created a GoFundMe account separate from the one by means of which Illinois’ athletic division has raised over $132,000; hers was created Oct. 14 and has raised over $16,000. The household requests that donations be made to their account. Roundtree posted the hyperlink on his Twitter account the day it was created, including, “All assist is healthier than none, thanks all.”

He additionally posted it on Instagram, writing: “Final 12 months Might of 2019, I used to be in an accident that modified my life. It’s been an extended difficult 12 months for me. Lacking out on final soccer season and being within the hospital for 7-8 months. Going by means of ups and downs but it surely’s made me stronger. I been combating by means of ache daily to get nearer and nearer to the previous me. I been proving so many incorrect and can proceed to.”

“I might identical to to thank everyone that has donated and prayed for him,” Hearns says. “It means quite a bit to me, and I’m positive it means quite a bit to him.”

AN ANIMAL SCIENCES CLASS received Roundtree’s juices flowing in the summertime of 2018. He was scared to the touch animals, however he beloved the instruction and the spirit of all of it. He was engaged, , impressed. If solely he might really feel the animal hair on his fingers now.

He needs to have interaction others, encourage them. And he does. He is perhaps a bit disconnected from his Illini brethren, however his boys from dwelling really feel him daily.

Indiana defensive finish Tramar Reece wears No. 97, Roundtree’s quantity. It’s only a coincidence, however Reece was consistently in contrast with Roundtree once they performed collectively at Largo.

“At first, it was only a quantity,” Reece says. “Now it’s one thing that connects us.”

Reece’s mom died simply as his school presents began to roll in, and Roundtree grew to become his sounding board and confidante. Roundtree additionally turned out to be the higher participant. Reece, a senior, nonetheless takes reps with the Hoosiers’ scout crew. He has thought of quitting.

“However I couldn’t try this to Bobby,” he says.

TCU’s Jaquaze Sorrells was a few years behind Roundtree at Largo however grew to become a extra sought-after recruit. Throughout the two seasons they had been teammates, he checked out Roundtree as a measuring stick, even a rival. That has modified utterly.

“I take into consideration issues Bob can’t do,” Sorrells says. “I give it some thought essentially the most once I’m actually uninterested in soccer, once I really feel like I gave my all and nothing is working for me. I all the time take into consideration him. Bob is a tough employee. He’s all the time going to do what he can to maximise his skill. Eager about him offers me the motivation to maintain going.

“Earlier than [the accident] occurred, we had been sitting and speaking about his future plans, objectives, going to the league. I’m not going to lie, that’s on my again. I’m carrying that on my shoulders. Once I do go to the league, he’ll perceive that I did that for us.”

Alonzo Gibson, Sorrells’ older brother and Roundtree’s highschool classmate, didn’t see his school soccer desires come true. He’s working a 9-to-5 now.

“Bobby is without doubt one of the strongest psychological individuals I do know,” Gibson says. “He’s mentally robust, and he’s nonetheless received that glad spirit. And I really like him. I need to be there for him till the top. Bobby makes me a greater individual. You consider stuff. Bob’s in a wheelchair. It’s not that unhealthy for me.”

Paschal has been equally impacted by Roundtree.

“I do know the upside that Bobby had in entrance of him, however Bobby nonetheless has that upside,” he says. “And I really feel like I’ve extra upside as a coach due to him.”

Just a few days after our final dialog, Roundtree texted a request so as to add these phrases to his story:

“Thanks to everybody that’s been part of this unfinished journey. Maintain pushing me! I need to proceed inspiring everybody throughout. Attain out, I don’t chew.”

Roundtree isn’t positive how intently they’re paying consideration at Illinois, however he’s making a distinction and leaving a soccer legacy. Looking for his independence. Attempting to get into the Miami Challenge. Leaning on his mother. Residing in a crowded dwelling. Doing his finest to take courses. Attempting to be who he was. Attempting to be who he needs to be.

And telling his personal story.