FSU football player shot in head honored for comeback

Ethan Pritchard is accustomed to having people stand to their feet and cheer for him; the highly recruited FSU football player had an outstanding career at Seminole High before signing to play in Tallahassee. This occasion was much different than the gridiron. This summer, Ethan Pritchard received the ‘Doc Fauls Rise Above Adversity Award’ to highlight his comeback. “You know, just the history behind that award itself, adversity. You know that me being shot, you know, having to overcome that. It’s just it didn’t feel real, like it was a real, surreal moment for me,” Pritchard said while speaking exclusively to WESH 2.Pritchard has been putting in major work to rebuild his strength. He’s been doing physical rehab on campus with strength coaches alongside his FSU teammates.WESH 2 anchor Stewart Moore asked him about how far he’s come. “I lost, like, honestly, like 40 pounds. Like 40, around 40 to 60 pounds I lost. I was 160, like, after everything happened, now I’m back at like 200. I was coming along good, though,” Pritchard said.Coach Mike Norvell was there to present the star with the award and once again showed his emotions because Pritchard is still here. He talked about the wave of feelings in just a day’s time, which was a lot to process. “Twenty-four hours after we beat Alabama, I got a phone call. It’s a call you never want to get — that a player was shot,” Norvell said. “For a young man who was in the hospital for over 40 days. Many of those days were nonresponsive. Some really tough moments, some really challenging times, some really bleak outlooks at times. But I got to see a young man fight.”Pritchard is not putting a timetable on when he will be back on the field, but he is promising he will keep working to continue living his dream.”I’ve been working every day, every day, every day. The only day I didn’t work was yesterday. That’s because I had an event. But other than that, every day. I don’t want to put a time step on it, but I’ll be back sooner than y’all think for sure,” Pritchard said. What happened to Ethan Pritchard?The Florida State University football player was hospitalized for months after being shot in the head in a case of mistaken identity.The shooting happened while Pritchard was driving his family home by the Riverside Apartment Complex on 16th Street in Havana near Tallahassee on Aug. 31.Pritchard was with his aunt, Zealene Lawrence, and his 3-year-old cousin, Ja’Liyah Robinson, taking them home after Florida State’s victory over Alabama when he was shot in the head.A group of attackers fired at his car, and four suspects were arrested in connection with the shooting.After months of recovering, Pritchard was released from a Tallahassee hospital in October and transported to Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville.While in rehab, Pritchard worked hard in physical therapy to regain the ability to walk and strengthen his muscles. Earl Pritchard, Ethan’s father, has been by his side in Tallahassee, witnessing Ethan’s progress in the intensive care unit. Pritchard was released from the rehabilitation facility in November.He is still recovering in physical therapy.Lawsuit filedPritchard filed a lawsuit against the apartment complexes where the shooting happened.The complaint states that both Riverside Apartment Complex and Havana Heights Apartments are fully aware of the substantial history of criminal activity on and around their premises.The complaint also alleges that:”Owners of the apartment complexes knew or should have known that there was a propensity for criminal conduct by third persons which exposed residents, guests and members of the public traversing the adjacent roadways between the premises to an unreasonably dangerous condition.”The lawsuit raises four separate counts of negligence:Negligence against Riverside Apartments LLPNegligence against Daniel McMillanNegligence against Community Havana LLCNegligence against Republic First Management Inc.Pritchard is being represented by attorneys Greg Francis and Ryan Fletcher of Osborne & Francis Law Firm in Orlando.Where does the case stand now?Four people were arrested in connection with the shooting that left the Central Florida native hospitalized.Prosecutors have dropped the charges against Jayden Bodison, one of the four people arrested in connection with the shooting.Bodison was facing attempted first-degree murder charges.Three other individuals are still facing charges related to the incident. Pritchard welcomed back to SanfordRelated content

Ethan Pritchard is accustomed to having people stand to their feet and cheer for him; the highly recruited FSU football player had an outstanding career at Seminole High before signing to play in Tallahassee.

This occasion was much different than the gridiron. This summer, Ethan Pritchard received the ‘Doc Fauls Rise Above Adversity Award’ to highlight his comeback.

“You know, just the history behind that award itself, adversity. You know that me being shot, you know, having to overcome that. It’s just it didn’t feel real, like it was a real, surreal moment for me,” Pritchard said while speaking exclusively to WESH 2.

Pritchard has been putting in major work to rebuild his strength. He’s been doing physical rehab on campus with strength coaches alongside his FSU teammates.

WESH 2 anchor Stewart Moore asked him about how far he’s come.

“I lost, like, honestly, like 40 pounds. Like 40, around 40 to 60 pounds I lost. I was 160, like, after everything happened, now I’m back at like 200. I was coming along good, though,” Pritchard said.

Coach Mike Norvell was there to present the star with the award and once again showed his emotions because Pritchard is still here. He talked about the wave of feelings in just a day’s time, which was a lot to process.

“Twenty-four hours after we beat Alabama, I got a phone call. It’s a call you never want to get — that a player was shot,” Norvell said. “For a young man who was in the hospital for over 40 days. Many of those days were nonresponsive. Some really tough moments, some really challenging times, some really bleak outlooks at times. But I got to see a young man fight.”

Pritchard is not putting a timetable on when he will be back on the field, but he is promising he will keep working to continue living his dream.

“I’ve been working every day, every day, every day. The only day I didn’t work was yesterday. That’s because I had an event. But other than that, every day. I don’t want to put a time step on it, but I’ll be back sooner than y’all think for sure,” Pritchard said.

What happened to Ethan Pritchard?

The Florida State University football player was hospitalized for months after being shot in the head in a case of mistaken identity.

The shooting happened while Pritchard was driving his family home by the Riverside Apartment Complex on 16th Street in Havana near Tallahassee on Aug. 31.

Pritchard was with his aunt, Zealene Lawrence, and his 3-year-old cousin, Ja’Liyah Robinson, taking them home after Florida State’s victory over Alabama when he was shot in the head.

A group of attackers fired at his car, and four suspects were arrested in connection with the shooting.

After months of recovering, Pritchard was released from a Tallahassee hospital in October and transported to Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville.

While in rehab, Pritchard worked hard in physical therapy to regain the ability to walk and strengthen his muscles.

Earl Pritchard, Ethan’s father, has been by his side in Tallahassee, witnessing Ethan’s progress in the intensive care unit.

Pritchard was released from the rehabilitation facility in November.

He is still recovering in physical therapy.

Lawsuit filed

Pritchard filed a lawsuit against the apartment complexes where the shooting happened.

The complaint states that both Riverside Apartment Complex and Havana Heights Apartments are fully aware of the substantial history of criminal activity on and around their premises.

The complaint also alleges that:

“Owners of the apartment complexes knew or should have known that there was a propensity for criminal conduct by third persons which exposed residents, guests and members of the public traversing the adjacent roadways between the premises to an unreasonably dangerous condition.”

The lawsuit raises four separate counts of negligence:

Negligence against Riverside Apartments LLPNegligence against Daniel McMillanNegligence against Community Havana LLCNegligence against Republic First Management Inc.

Pritchard is being represented by attorneys Greg Francis and Ryan Fletcher of Osborne & Francis Law Firm in Orlando.

Where does the case stand now?

Four people were arrested in connection with the shooting that left the Central Florida native hospitalized.

Prosecutors have dropped the charges against Jayden Bodison, one of the four people arrested in connection with the shooting.

Bodison was facing attempted first-degree murder charges.

Three other individuals are still facing charges related to the incident.

Pritchard welcomed back to Sanford

Related content