The former Northern Burlington star recovered from devastating leg and ankle injuries to become a star linebacker at Old Dominion with aspirations of playing in the NFL.

Lawrence Garner apologized to his Northern Burlington teammates, coaches, parents and trainers for letting them down.

"I was saying it to everyone," Garner recalled.

That he was lying on the ground after suffering a compound fracture/dislocation of his tibia and fibula explains a great deal about Garner.

His teammates were encouraging him to get up, but he couldn’t because his ankle had rotated 90 degrees.

While waiting for an ambulance, Garner requested that Northern athletic trainer Erin Hallion and Ewing trainer Dave Csillan pray with him.

"That young man led two young adults in tears in prayer," Hallion said. "He asked God to guide his team, help him take care of his body and help us. He was speaking in full sentences. Never in my (20-year) career have I known a kid with that kind of composure."

Three surgeries — the first two of which were major — and four years later, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Garner has overcome the gruesome, career-threatening injury to lead Old Dominion University and Conference USA in tackles for the second consecutive season. A redshirt junior middle linebacker, Garner has NFL aspirations.

"Character is part of what makes him such a good football player," said ODU defensive coordinator/linebackers coach David Blackwell.

There was a real chance doctors wouldn’t allow him to keep playing after what happened at Ewing on Oct. 9, 2015.

As Garner went to change directions on an interception return, the Ewing quarterback’s helmet struck his left ankle. About to fall forward, Garner was hit by another player on the top of the knee and a third person knocked him over. His left foot remained planted in the ground the entire time.

While in his hospital bed that night, Garner told his dad, Amir Mohammad, that he was finished with football.

"The injury was so traumatic and abrupt," Garner said. "It caught me out of nowhere. I felt defeated. I never wanted to feel like that again. I was done with the game."

ODU coach Bobby Wilder telephoned the day after the initial surgery to say the Monarchs were holding a scholarship for Garner, who had already committed to the school in Norfolk, Virginia, even if he couldn’t or wouldn’t play football.

"I am still, to this day, appreciative of this," Garner said. "I appreciate everything they did for me."

The first surgery lasted just under four hours and involved inserting a metal plate and five screws to the tibia and a plate with screws to the fibula. The second was slightly longer and consisted of reattaching torn ligaments to his ankle joint. During the final procedure in June 2016, doctors removed the screws and cleaned up scar tissue.

Garner was still "very, very unsure I wanted to" continue playing football early in his 2016 redshirt year. But he made friends with fellow defensive redshirts Sam White and Jordan Young, who helped him see the bigger picture while spending time on the scout team.

Garner was a backup linebacker in ’17, recording 13 tackles in limited action. He started all nine games in which he appeared last season, accumulating 100 tackles, including a career-high 16 tackles against Florida International, for an 11.1 average. He missed three games with a concussion.

This fall, he has 69 tackles in seven games (9.9 average).

Garner became "obsessed" — his word — with watching film during his redshirt year. He believed studying the game gave him an inherent advantage.

When Blackwell went into the office at 5:15 Tuesday morning, Garner was already watching film. The coach wasn’t surprised.

The Monarchs’ strength and conditioning staff raves about his work ethic and how he leads by example. The list goes on and on.

Garner might not have as much range of motion in the ankle/lower leg or be able to jump as high as he did when he was starring on both sides of the ball at Northern Burlington, but it hasn’t prevented him from becoming one of ODU’s best players.

Garner, who is on track to graduate in May with a degree in communications and a minor in cybersecurity, would like to take a crack at the NFL in 2021, but his ultimate goal is to create a nonprofit to erase poverty and take it city to city.

"He’s one of my favorite topics," Hallion said. "He’s a true success story in every sense of the word. He’s just a special kid."

This could be the Sixers’ year

Had he not suffered the injury, Garner, with his size, quickness and instincts, might have ended up at a bigger football school. Some called upon seeing what he could do on tape, including a few who weren’t aware of what had happened during his senior season.

"I’d probably be someplace else," Garner said. "Everything happens for a reason."

What he’s overcome through resilience, hard work and an upbeat attitude can give him a boost if he’s having a bad day. He just thinks about all that he’s been through and where he is now and life seems to become a little brighter.

He bears three physical scars — two long ones going up from his ankle on the outside of his left leg and a half-circle on the inside of the leg. He has photos on his phone in case he needs a reminder or to show interested others. Mentally, he’s rock-solid.

"I’ve been through it all," Garner said. "No matter what situation is thrown at me, with the right amount of focus and understanding, I can do almost anything."

There’s no "almost" about it.

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly