On a football field in a jersey, Geronimo Santos is at home.
But in a split second last year during James Madison High School’s rivalry game against Lincoln High, the kicker’s high school career was nearly ripped away.
“Well, it was the play before the half. The half was in the timeout half, and it was a punt return. And man, all I remember is just blacking out and looking up, looking up at my leg, and it’s like backwards. I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. My heart skipped the beat,’” Santos said.
Santos was rushed from the “South Dallas Classic” game by ambulance to a hospital, where doctors determined he tore his ACL, MCL and PCL.
Head football coach Marcus Gates said they were told recovery could take years.
“Just about every ligament in his body was damaged or torn,” Gates said.
Still, Santos was determined.
He dedicated mornings before school to rehab and showed up daily to work with the school’s trainer.
“Seeing your peers compete against other people and you’re just sitting on the sidelines, I mean, it’s mentally hard, but I know I can get through it,” he said.
Against all odds, this weekend, Santos will take the field at John Kincaide Stadium, once again facing off against Lincoln High in that big rivalry game exactly one year after he was sidelined.
This time, with an extra special recognition of just how far he’s come.
“His dad came to me and asked, could we do a ceremonial kickoff for Geronimo? And I was like, sure, man. I think that’d be great. He deserves it. He’s a wonderful kid, a smart kid. And we thought that he deserves that opportunity,” Gates said.
“I knew I was going to play again. I knew some way, somehow. I mean, I’m a big faith guy, so I knew the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m big on faith, so I knew he was going to make a way for me,” Santos said.
The game kicks off Saturday at 7 p.m.