Eric LeGrand to Receive 2017 Warrior Award
Former Rutgers University defensive tackle and current motivational speaker Eric LeGrand is the 2017 recipient of the Warrior Award.
In an announcement via ESPN.com, LeGrand was revealed to the be the third person to receive the award. LeGrand, for those that don't know, was paralyzed after making a tackle in a football game against Army West Point back in 2010. He suffered an injury to his spinal cord during the tackle, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.
His injury didn't stop him from living his life, however.
LeGrand continued his education by taking classes via Skype, and even dabbled in broadcasting before becoming a motivational speaker. He also founded his Team LeGrand charity as part of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation back in 2013.
He said he found out about the award from Triple H himself.
"When he called me, he explained the award to me and what they do at WrestleMania, and then he told me at the end that they want to present the award to me, and I honestly didn't know what to say," he told ESPN.com. "I didn't know how to react. This was incredible as someone who grew up as a fan since I was a little kid."
The WWE will also be making a donation of $25,000 to Team LeGrand.
The Warrior Award was established back in 2015 as a way to honor individuals who, according to WWE, "has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of The Ultimate Warrior." The Ultimate Warrior passed away just days after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014.
The first two recipients of the Warrior Award were eight-year-old Connor Michalek who passed away from cancer in 2014, and journalist Joan Lunden who survived breast cancer.
LeGrand will be honored the Friday before WrestleMania 33 along with the rest of the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame class that is headlined by former world champion Kurt Angle.
