NORCROSS, Ga. — Geoff Norman spent his high school years playing football and lacrosse, with a short stint on the track team before he joined the Navy. An athlete and a veteran, he’s experienced in strenuous activity.
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Four years ago, he was on his motorcycle when a car crashed into him from the side. He lost his leg below the knee. It’s been four years since he’s run or played sports.
“It was a hard process, a hard learning curve just to get back into it, but I’m finally at a point where I feel comfortable enough with my leg,” Norman said.
Now he’s ready to get physically active again. He was among dozens of amputees who turned out on the football field at Meadowbrook High School in Norcross for the first Adaptive Sports Day. It was hosted by the Atlanta Falcons and Ottobock, a German prosthetics manufacturer with North American headquarters in Texas. The Falcons and Ottobock formed a partnership to provide amputees with opportunities to participate in sports.
For the first time since his amputation, Norman was fitted for a running blade, a prosthetic made of lightweight carbon that allows someone who’s lost a leg to run, jump and sprint.
“It’s tall, it’s much taller, but it’s supposed to be because when you’re running, you sink into it,” he said after putting it on.
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Michael Haynes, a retired wide receiver for the Falcons, ran the group through some football drills.
“I’ve been working with special needs folks for a long time, so this is right up my alley and I jumped at the opportunity,” he said.
For some additional motivation, K.J. Hill showed up for the event. He was a defensive tackle for the University of Mississippi. Just three days before NFL training camp, he was in a car accident and lost his left leg below his knee. The experience changed his life.
“It changed it for the better, not the worse,” he said. “My mindset was still there.”
No longer could he play the sport he loved. “It ended my football career, but not my career in life,” he said. “I’m now walking in my purpose.”
He thrives on encouraging others who’ve lost limbs to get back in the game. “Looking forward to being around amputees to let them know that they can still do it, despite their disability,” he said.
The Falcons are the first NFL team to partner with Ottobock and host an Adaptive Sports Day. Organizers hope it catches on throughout the league and across the country.
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