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On March 14, 2005, the Liberty University men’s lacrosse team was making good time on U.S. Highway 45 near Prichard, Ala., on their way to Biloxi, Miss., for a scheduled game.
Then, about 1:00 p.m. Central Time, tragedy struck when then-coach John Westfall had to make a sudden stop in his team van – but the second team van behind him did not stop. Westfall’s vehicle was thrust into the intersection and collided with a tractor-trailer, throwing several students from the van.
This week, as they remembered the accident 13 months later, several team members attested to the providence of God throughout the entire ordeal. Jake Redman, one of the players in the second van who helped lift the first van off the trapped players, recalled the supernatural nature of the accident and its influence on the players.
“The fact that (the team members who were severely injured) stayed alive during the incident has had a very positive impact on their spiritual life,” Redman said.
Redman gave a very positive evaluation of Jason Lombardozzi, who had suffered a compound fracture in his lower leg–about five inches above his ankle–as a result of the accident. Redman said that not only did Lombardozzi come back this season, but he was a utility player for the team, excelling on both attack and defense.
Lombardozzi himself attested that he is, in some ways, still healing from his injury. He also described some of the emotion present at the crash site.
“People were praying for each other…It was pretty cool to see how it all happened,” Lombardozzi said.
Lombardozzi also gave an update on Chad Gurney, the goalie for the team at the time, who suffered the gravest injuries, including a severed leg.
He last talked to Gurney’s mother about a month ago. She said that Gurney, who had to undergo several surgeries, had a successful bone transplant from his hip to his leg and was walking, and even regained some feeling in the fingers of his injured hand. He is taking classes locally back in his home state of Maine and has no immediate plans to return to Liberty.
Another player who was severely injured, Ryan “Kansas” Leaming, is also doing very well, according to reports from team members. Leaming became a Resident Assistant for the 2005-2006 school year, but he had to defer a semester to undergo therapy for his hip.
Ryan Patrie, who is a current co-captain of the team, was also in the second van. He too recalled God’s divine intervention in the accident.
“With the exception of [Gurney and Leaming], the rest of the guys were able to come back and play, which is nothing short of a miracle,” Patrie said.
He admitted that the accident drew the team members together and forced them to rely on each other and that the unity was evident throughout the rest of the season.Dr. Tom Metallo, professor at the Helms School of Government and this season’s coach, also touched on that unity.
“I think the one thing that unified them the most was the injury to [Gurney],” Metallo said.
However, this season was different.
“A lot of people who were involved with the accident on the team either left the team or moved on,” Lombardozzi said.
He attributed this dispersion to different team members that graduated or transferred to different schools or were still recuperating from their injuries. That being the case, the team had over half its spots replaced by new recruits this season. Lombardozzi acknowledged that this year’s team tried to distance itself from the accident to some extent.
Patrie mentioned that the biggest thing to come out of the accident was that God was glorified, citing the team’s chance to witness to Mobile, Ala., television crews following the accident.
“If it’s going to take an accident like that for God to be glorified, then let it be,” Patrie said.
Looking forward to your book coach. It's great to hear a story of how God still works miracles in this world. I'm amazed more and more everytime you give us details of how God's power was shown that day. Thanks for using this situation for His glory.
Get some guts, register, and state who you are and your relation to Westfall and the team. If you have a different side of the story, we'd love to hear it, but credibility is needed...
You my friend better man up, get a name and then explain what you are talking about because you have virtually no credibility hiding behind guest like that, but to come on here and slander Coach Westfall like that is grounds for some serious trouble.
Liberty Class of 2009
2007 AND 2008 Big South Football Champions
2014 FCS Playoff Qualifier
Sad to say I think this is the way Westfall's Team has treated him. What they don't know is Wes and his Family have paid a huge price for what happened in Alabama.
Brain Injurys and the emotions of his Sons from the accident will be with Wes and his Family for a Lifetime. I don't know when or if Wes will bring his Team at New Mexico to play out east. I hope he does in the future. You can count on the LU Lax Alumni to be cheering for the New Mexico Lobos if he does come out. Your Team has lost the support of the former Lacrosse Players of Liberty University and the respect of the LU Lax Alumni.
I don't think it is fair to say that that is how all the team has treated Westfall. The after-effects of the wreck that every member of that team face is something that they will have to live with. That being said: every person invovled should thankful they are here. I know that if it wasn't for the guys I played with, I don't even know if I would be here. The thing to remember is that the past will only affect you as long as you let it. It's time to move on.
Tell me Mr. Guest have you been in touch with your old Coach? Do you have any clue what his Family went through after the accident? Do you have any idea of the health issues he will have for the rest of his Life? Again you have lost my respect.
Anonymous wrote:I don't think it is fair to say that that is how all the team has treated Westfall. The after-effects of the wreck that every member of that team face is something that they will have to live with. That being said: every person invovled should thankful they are here. I know that if it wasn't for the guys I played with, I don't even know if I would be here. The thing to remember is that the past will only affect you as long as you let it. It's time to move on.
At the risk of sounding rather new to this board. I wrote this, I'm at work and had to close out, before the manager saw me. Didn't know that the board logged you out when you close out Windows. And also, this is in no way trying to put Westfall down, I know what his family has gone through via email. Sorry about the mix-up.
Last edited by Old School D on May 16th, 2006, 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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