After suffering a gun shot wound to the head, Florida State linebacker Ethan Pritchard continues to work hard to comeback stronger than ever, reforged into a unconquered warrior that is the spirit of the garnet and gold.
He cheated the grim reaper and has walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and he feared no evil. The hard part is now over.
Now, he toils to reforge his body into that of an unconquered warrior.
Florida State linebacker Ethan Pritchard has willed his way back from a gunshot wound to the head, to being able to take steps without the assistance of a walker. This is the result of months of rehab and a strong sense of faith, and has led to Pritchard being named to the Comeback Player of the Year watch list.
After beating the Alabama Crimson Tide by two touchdowns in Week 1 last season, the joyous celebration that followed was interrupted by tragedy. While traveling in a moving vehicle, shots rang out, one striking Pritchard. Once his vital signs stabilized at the hospital, he spent months in intensive care, followed by strenuous rehab at a facility in Jacksonville.
Pritchard continues to regain his strength on the weight pile in the football facility on campus, a testament to his desire to be reborn as a football player in the garnet and gold. A timetable for that return to the field is uncertain, but Pritchard continues to make great progress in his recovery, and remains an inspiration to his coaches and teammates, and a grateful fan base. As a result, he was awarded the Doc Fauls Rise Above Adversity Award, and took steps on stage with the aid of a walker to accept the award from coach Mike Norvell.
At 6-foot-2, 224 pounds as an incoming freshman last season, Pritchard was the No. 27 linebacker in the country by Rivals. He chose the Seminoles over Florida, Miami and UCF. Pritchard joins receiver Duce Robinson, defensive back Ja’Bril Rawls, running backs Ousmane Kromah and Quintrevion Wisner, punter Daniel Hughes and place kicker Gabe Panikowski in representing Florida State by being honored with preseason accolades.
While Pritchard refused to be another statistic and began his journey in the gridiron crucible, Norvell bolstered the linebacking corps by securing the services of Chris Jones, a transfer linebacker from Southern Miss. Jones tackled everyone in his path, including the water boy, to be ranked No. 7 in the nation with 10 stops per game. 135 tackles later, Jones found himself suited up for the Seminoles, ready to carry on the legacy of what it means to be a linebacker at Florida State.
Pritchard works harder every day as a means to an end, to walk out the tunnel with his teammates on Aug. 29 when the Seminoles host New Mexico State to kick off the 2026 season.
No doubt, the image of Pritchard of walking under his own power to cheer on his teammates will unleash the war chant in a great vocal cataclysm not heard within the great edifice that is Doak Campbell Stadium in quite some time.
