Out of tragedy comes inspiration

Jacob Rainey is inspiring people all across the sports world.

The Virginia prep quarterback who had to have part of his right leg amputated has moved the likes of Alabama coach Nick Saban, Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews and Denver quarterback Tim Tebow.

A highlight film of Rainey on YouTube shows why college coaches had taken notice. It shows the once-promising quarterback at Woodberry Forest School throwing a 40-yard dart for a touchdown, running into the line on a quarterback sneak, then emerging from the pile and sprinting 40 yards for a TD. There also is a clip of him running a draw for another 35-yard score.

All that was taken away without warning when he was tackled during a scrimmage Sept. 3. He suffered a severe knee injury. The injury severed an artery, and as a result, he had to have part of his right leg amputated.

Now it’s his courage that has people taking notice.

Saban sent Rainey a Crimson Tide jersey with his name and number on it, along with a note encouraging him to “keep fighting.” Matthews sent him an autographed jersey, and Tebow will meet him this month.

The Denver QB’s foundation set up a trip for Rainey and his family to Buffalo “to hang out with me before and after” the Broncos-Bills game, Tebow said. The foundation has arranged for a child and the child’s family to attend every Broncos game this year.

“What an amazing kid, and what an amazing outlook that he has,” Tebow said of the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Rainey, whose playing style was frequently compared with Tebow’s. “I’m so proud to have the opportunity to spend time with him and his family. We’re very excited about that.”

With football gone, Rainey isn’t sure what’s next — but he knows what isn’t: moping around.

“I don’t know why me,” he said. “I’ve never really asked myself that question. I think that would just make me feel sorry for myself, and that’s the last thing I want to do.”

On Sept. 10, a week after he suffered the injury — and after several surgeries — part of Rainey’s right leg was amputated.

His high school teammates say they were worried, until they talked to Rainey.

“I think talking to him right after surgery was when I really realized that everything was going to be OK, because he was still joking and cutting up and kind of making everyone realize that he was still the same person,” said Nathan Ripper, one of Rainey’s closest friends on the team.

Rainey returned to school after Thanksgiving break having missed the first trimester, and he said putting others at ease about his situation seems like the right approach.

“I feel like if I was in their shoes, I’d feel awkward about it and stuff, like talking about it, so I kind of joke about it,” Rainey said. “I mean, it is what it is. I can’t change anything. There’s no point (complaining) about it, so I think it makes everyone more comfortable about it if I just joke about it like it’s all right. That’s how it’s always been.”

Seeing his friend adapt has made Ripper realize that things will get better.

“He’s the last person I ever would have wanted this to happen to, but if I had to pick one person that I know could get through it, it would be him, just because he’s going to work hard to do rehab, work hard to get used to whatever has changed,” he said, noting that he and Rainey spent time together over the summer, working to get ready for the football season.

Rainey had 4.6 speed in the 40 and “a cannon for an arm,” Ripper said. Rainey was on the recruiting radar of several major schools, and this season was going to be important. He had drawn the attention of college recruiters, who were likely going to watch him closer this season to determine whether he was a major college prospect.

His YouTube highlight clip has been seen nearly 200,000 times. He had such a bright future that his teammates initially didn’t want to believe the news.

“I figured that Jacob was just pulling some kind of sick joke on us all,” Ripper said.

The amputation was performed at Fairfax (Va.) Inova Hospital, and Ripper, teammate Greg McIntosh and several others made the 70-mile trip.

“As soon as we walked in the room — he was very out of it. He was doped up on pain killers, but he recognized us,” McIntosh said. “His heart monitor was just doing normal beeps, but when he saw us, it jumped pretty high. He was pretty excited to see us.”

Ripper said Rainey has lifted not only himself, but everyone around him.

“Just talking to him and realizing that he has the same personality and he’s going to do everything he can to get better and get through this makes us all realize that he’s still with us, and what could have happened,” Ripper said. “With all that infection, he could not be with us anymore, so just having him around is just a reminder that things are going to be OK.”