Standing tall at 6ft 3in, and weighing an impressive 256 pounds, Derick Hall has come a long way in his 22 years.
The outside linebacker was born four months prematurely without a heartbeat, weighing a tiny two pounds and one ounce, with a bleed on the brain. After a week on life support, the prognosis wasn't favorable and doctors believed he'd remain in a vegetative state for the rest of his life.
The medical professionals suggested to Hall's mom, Stacy Gooden-Crandle, that she should turn off life support. As Hall shared in an interview with ESPN, doctors told her to sign a paper and "to let life take its course." Thankfully she refused. Her tiny baby spent five months in NICU before finally going home.
Her son flourished. He began his football career with flag football and there was no holding him back. The future Seattle Seahawks player will now be able to show his physical and mental prowess on the field and demonstrate to millions how life, no matter how precarious, is always worth fighting for.
