Aug. 29, 2026, 7:11 p.m. ET
Nearly a year after surviving a gunshot wound to the head, Ethan Pritchard is again on the sidelines with Florida State football at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Pritchard was greeted by a stadium-wide warfare chant as he led the Seminoles onto the sphere forward of the season opener towards New Mexico State. The sophomore linebacker was a sufferer in a case of mistaken id when he was shot behind the top whereas driving relations residence from a household gathering.
Pritchard informed the Tallahassee Democrat in June that he would stroll out of the tunnel with his FSU teammates in Week 0. And that promise is now fulfilled.
“I will tell you that I’m going to walk out there on the field, come first game,” Pritchard said. “I feel like I already beat the hard part. I beat death. This is just getting my body back.”
He had emergency surgical procedure in Tallahassee and spent weeks in restoration earlier than being transferred to medical care in Jacksonville for additional rehabilitation. This is not the primary time Pritchard has been again to Doak, as he was on hand for the Seminoles’ win over Virginia Tech last season.
A video posted on social media by Orlando-based reporter Stewart Moore confirmed Pritchard strolling underneath his personal energy previous to the sport with a brace on his decrease proper leg. Over the summer season, a Facebook submit by Pritchard’s household went viral after exhibiting him taking a number of steps with out using his walker.
Both moments showcased the numerous restoration that Pritchard has gone by way of, and his stroll to the sidelines forward of kickoff on Saturday is one other important achievement in a miracle restoration.
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Florida State football schedule 2026
An * signifies convention video games
vs. New Mexico State | Aug. 29
vs. SMU* | Sept. 7
Bye
at Alabama | Sept. 19
vs. Central Arkansas | Sept. 26
vs. Virginia* | Oct. 3
at Louisville* | Oct. 9
at Miami* | Oct. 17
Bye
vs. Clemson* | Oct. 31
at Boston College* | Nov. 7
at Pittsburgh* | Nov. 13
vs. NC State* | Nov. 21
vs. Florida | Nov. 27
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him by way of e-mail at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.