Shooting survivor Hollins back at UVA practice

Virginia running back Mike Hollins made his return to the practice field Tuesday, four months after he made it through a shooting that took the lives of three of his teammates.Hollins was a complete

participant as the Cavaliers opened spring practice, an exceptional recovery after he was shot in the back in November and hung around on a ventilator prior to being discharged from the medical facility following a weeklong stay. “Simply to enjoy how he’s attacked everything, might quickly have made excuses, easily have overthought things, but he’s taking it upon himself to react and reveal perseverance and be resilient,” coach Tony Elliott said.”I believe a lot of it is for himself, however the majority of it is for his teammates. There was a time when we didn’t know if he ‘d ever have the possibility to play to play football again. I’m just grateful to be on the turf, grateful to have an opportunity to be here at the University of Virginia and lead this program, lead these young men, all the men that chose to come back and pick up the pieces and turn this catastrophe into a victory. RB Mike Hollins was a complete participant as Virginia opened spring practice Tuesday, after Hollins was shot in the back in November 2022. Courtesy of Jim Daves/Virginia Sports”Just so delighted for Mike, due to the fact that we all understand that as a football player that your

time is going to pertain to an end. You certainly would not desire it to come to an end in that style. So to see him to have another opportunity, simply to go out on his own terms, makes it actually special.”Hollins was among four football players shot on a charter bus after they returned home from an excursion to Washington, D.C. Teammates Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and D’Sean Perry were killed in the tragedy. Another trainee, Marlee Morgan, was likewise shot however survived.Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a UVA trainee and previous member of the football group who was on the journey, has actually been charged with three counts

of second-degree murder and using a gun in the commission of a felony. Prosecutors have actually also charged him with 2 counts of harmful wounding and extra gun-related charges associated with shooting Hollins and Morgan.Running back Perris Jones, Hollins ‘roommate, stated the whole team has actually taken motivation from seeing the method Hollins has worked his way back to take the field again.Editor’s Picks 1 Related” Just the way he’s brought himself

throughout this tragedy and how he continues to bring himself, it’s surreal,”Jones stated.”He is a strong male, and his battle every day motivates everybody to continue to combat and to do the best that we definitely can because if he can do it, we can also, so it’s absolutely inspiring.”There were definitely mixed emotions Tuesday as players practiced for the first time given that the disaster took place. Elliott made sure to tell his team to be grateful for the chance, but to likewise keep in mind the legacies of their fallen teammates.Kicker Will Bettridge, a high school teammate of Perry’s, has actually changed his

number to Perry’s No. 41 as a method to honor him. Elliott said there will be other opportunities throughout the year to keep honoring Davis, Perry and Chandler.” As I told the guys, we’re not moving on, however we do have an obligation to progress

,”Elliott stated. “We believe that the spirits and the legacies of the three males that we lost would want us to progress. However there’s going to be some times where there’s going to be some psychological turning points that we’re going to have to make it through.”However I believe from what I’ve seen so far, the guys have actually really taken hold to the appreciation and the thankfulness that they have

to be here at the University of Virginia to continue the tradition.”