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America's Remarkable Rookie "When I used to think of amputees I thought of depression or handicap. This game is really physical. There was a lot of yelling and screaming going on and everybody was playing with all they had. It was incredibly competitive." First GoalMost thrilling for Spotswood was scoring his first international goal.
"My entire life what I had worked for was taken away and now it's back and it's at the ultimate level. It's inexplicable." Since his recovery, Spotswood has been speaking to church groups and other organizations. Before returning to boarding school at St. Paul's in Concord, N.H., Spotswood visited the Mountain Brook High School to speak to the largest audience to date, a group of 800 high school students. According to Dr. David Stiles, principal of Mountain Brook High School, "I would have to say of all the high school assemblies which dealt with drinking or drinking and driving, Robert's had the most impact. He's one of them. He's their age, and he's from their community. To hear him tell it in the first person is very powerful."
Pin Drop"It was incredible," Stiles said. "You could have heard a pin drop. When you get 800 students in one place and get them quiet, that's an amazing accomplishment."They gave him a standing ovation when he was finished. It was very moving. You could see the impact. It was a huge wake-up call. They had an appreciation for his attitude and his spirit in not giving up." "When I tell people my story, the fact that I was intoxicated is one of my main points," he said. "I tell them how quickly you can go from the state select soccer team to a wheelchair after you have a couple of beers and step into a car." "The amazing thing about Robert is that there's not a day that he has complained," said Mrs. Ashley Spotswood, Robert's mother. "He's taught our family and all of our friends many lessons through his courage and positive outlook on everything. "He's never been one to feel sorry for himself, and he's tried to make the best of a very bad situation. He's grateful to be alive and to have his mind. He wants to do some positive things to help himself, and he wants to help others. "Robert has a great amount of maturity for a 17 year old. Not long ago he told me he no longer felt he looked at things as a 17 year old. When I asked how old he was, he said at least 35. "He has a new serenity now that is amazing in a boy of 17. We can all learn from him." Home Back to Winners |
