Royce O’Tuel felt exhausted and in pain on 10 February after his knee surgery. Little did he anticipate that by the end of the week, he’d be in a car accident and he’d face another setback.
Royce O’Tuel is a 6’1″, 240-pound athlete who plays for St. James High School‘s Boys Varsity Football team.
Highlights
- Royce O’Tuel’s school nurse, Melanie Harpe, went from being upset about his injury to being thankful he’s alive after a car accident.
- Susan Labate Follrod shared his mom has taught him how to rise above challenges and return better than ever.
- In September 2024, he explained that after receiving his MRI results, he learned that he had completely torn his ACL.
He has also been part of the SJHS Freshman Football Team, Boys JV Football, Boys Varsity Basketball, and Boys Varsity Lacrosse.
After Recovery, Royce O’Tuel Dreams To Become A Coach
Royce’s school nurse, Melanie Harpe, went from being upset about his injury to being thankful he’s alive after a car accident.
She was so proud of how he bounced back.
Royce was in pain & absolutely worn out on this Monday after his knee surgery after taking his Senior basketball banner pic. Little did we know, we’d be in a car accident by the end of this week & he’d get knocked down again. In a moment, I went from being so upset about his sports ending injury to grateful he was alive. Life can be humbling. It can knock us down more than we ever deserve but I am so proud of his comeback. If I’ve taught my boys anything, I hope it’s hard work & resiliency. God is good even when life isn’t so we gonna keep on loving Jesus & trusting Him! In the words of our Aimee Be KIND, LOVE BIG!
Melanie Harpe
Similarly, Susan Labate Follrod shared how he returned even stronger whenever he faced a setback.
She added that he’s a resilient, strong young man, and his mom has taught him how to rise above challenges and return better than ever.
After all, in September 2024, he explained that after receiving his MRI results, he learned that he had completely torn his ACL.
Football and basketball had always been huge parts of his life, so it was tough to say goodbye so soon.
Two months later, he shared that he had a successful surgery and felt healed.
He expressed his deep gratitude for his time playing football, noting that he would never forget the memories and friendships he had made over the years.
He clarified that this wasn’t the end for him and that he planned to become a coach.
Well, Royce has impressive physical stats, including a 40-yard dash time of 5.24 seconds, a shuttle time of 4.96 seconds, a vertical jump of 20.5 inches, a bench press max of 300 pounds, and a squat max of 425 pounds.
In August 2024, Royce O’Tuel, a student-athlete at St. James High School, was awarded the Derrick Law Firm Injury Lawyers “Get Seen, Get Paid” Athletic Camp Scholarship for Football.
He was chosen for his strong work ethic, positive attitude, skill on the field, and potential to compete at the collegiate level.
Additional Information
- Royce, originally from Bennettsville, currently resides in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
- His friends have frequently checked in on him to see how his healing process is going.
