LELAND, N.C. (WECT) – A week ago, inside a quiet, dark Scorpions Stadium before a North Brunswick playoff football game, Aidan Talley prayed. He thought back to three years ago, when he sat in a hospital bed, battling excruciating pain almost 160 miles from home.
Then, he looked at where he is today: a senior linebacker, finally fully healthy, helping the Scorpions push forward through the 3A State Playoffs.
Three years ago, doctors told Talley he might never walk again. On Friday night, he started at outside linebacker for North Brunswick, and celebrated a second-round win over Lee County.
“I’m just blessed to be able to be here,” he said.
The first setback came a few weeks after his freshman season, when him and his friends decided to jump over a fire at a birthday party. After watching his friends do it and trying it for himself – admittedly a …