Moses is Comeback Athlete of the Month!

At 5’ 8”, Moses Nelson is not the biggest kid under the Friday night lights, but that didn’t stop him from becoming a stand out varsity player during his freshman season. Moses is a wide receiver and defensive back for Cholla High School’s football team. While playing in the homecoming game in October, Moses was hit with a blindside block while going for a tackle and blacked out. When he opened his eyes he remembered the lights being very bright and having a headache. He was helped off the field and while being driven off in a cart, he knew something was wrong.

Moses went to school the next day but was having trouble concentrating, had a headache, and was bothered by light, so he went to the school nurse who sent him to us at SPARCC. Right away Moses and Dr. Mo made a connection; Moses felt comfortable working with a fellow athlete. They were able to bond over being high school wide receiver stars. Even though Moses trusted Dr. Mo, he did not like his request to stay away from screens. Keeping off screens was the most challenging part of the recovery for Moses, because without being able to use his phone to text his friends or play football with them, he felt disconnected.

With a few months of dedication towards rehabilitation, Moses was able to get himself back into the swing of football. He started lifting weights with the team and is working his way back to practice little by little. He will be at full strength and returning to play his sophomore season. He loves playing football and is very excited to return to the sport.

Moses’ advice to other concussion patients is to never give up. Even though it’s a long and hard road, always keep your head up.