Christion Abercrombie: Injured TSU player says 'I ain't done' with football

Mike Organ | The Tennessean

Show Caption Hide Caption Tennessee State football player Christion Abercrombie to be released from Nashville hospital Abercrombie suffered a head injury late in the second quarter and was rushed to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery.

Christion Abercrombie told his family that his rehabilitation sessions are so taxing that they are starting to feel like he is back on the football field.

The Tennessee State linebacker, who suffered a severe head injury in a game Sept. 29 against Vanderbilt, is making significant strides in his recovery at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, said his mother, Staci Abercrombie.

Staci Abercrombie, a guest on "The Rod Reed Coaches Show" Sunday on WNSR 560-AM/95.9-FM, talked about the effort her son is putting into his rehabilitation, which she said his doctors consider ahead of schedule.

"Christion is doing better; each day we see something different," she said. "He works very hard in therapy each day. One day last week he worked really hard and at the end of his walk he was sweating and said it felt like football practice. He's pushing really, really hard. The medical team here is very impressed with his progress. They didn't estimate that he would move so quickly, but I say it's all God. It's his plan and his timing."

Abercrombie has been at the rehabilitation facility since Oct. 17. Prior to that he was at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he underwent emergency brain surgery shortly after suffering the injury.

Staci Abercrombie said her son is speaking more and more each day and told his father, Derrick, recently that he plans to return to football again someday.

"My husband and Christion were talking about football and Derrick expressed to him about how proud he was of him for everything he's done on the field and Christion's response was, 'I ain't done,' and Derrick said, 'Well, you aren't done; you'll probably coach.' And Christion said, 'I ain't done!'" Staci Abercrombie said. "He still has a lot of personality in him, and he loves the game of football."

Stacie Abercrombie tweeted last week that Christion had eaten his first meal by mouth since the injury. She added on Sunday that he has continued to do so, and his voracious appetite has returned.

"He got his first meal by mouth and it was solid and I want to say he almost inhaled it," Staci Abercombie said. "It was so encouraging because we were trying to get him to take small bites and we were cutting up his food and we couldn't get it quick enough. Then the next day he began to feed himself because we weren't quick enough. He's excited about the food."

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.com.