BREAKING: Auburn football receives an emotional surprise before the Iron Bowl
After enduring a harrowing ordeal following a shooting in May, Auburn running back Brian Battie made a remarkable return to Auburn and the team on Friday, as shown in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter).
On May 18, Battie was critically injured in a shooting in his hometown of Sarasota, Florida, where he suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Tragically, his older brother, Tommie Battie IV, lost his life in the same incident. Initially, the outlook for Brian’s recovery was grim, with court documents against the alleged shooter, Darryl Brookins, indicating a potential prognosis of permanent paralysis.
However, Brian’s recovery has defied expectations. A family update on their GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over $123,000, revealed that by July 20, Brian had taken his first steps with the aid of a cane. By July 26, his family reported that Brian was determined not only to recover fully but also to complete his studies at Auburn. After being discharged from the hospital on August 24, he stayed in Florida to continue intensive rehabilitation. Recently, Brian underwent a successful cranioplasty surgery, marking another step forward in his recovery.
“We are grateful for the exceptional care he continues to receive during this unimaginable time,” wrote his mother, Adriene, in a GoFundMe update. She expressed deep gratitude to Brian’s medical team, including surgeon Dr. Fine, P.A. Brett Griffin, and the staff at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, highlighting their skill, dedication, and compassion.
https://twitter.com/AuburnFootball/status/1862636368314126539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1862636368314126539%7Ctwgr%5E942f2724eb7812a16b8d39aab7c25cc55ad45517%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.al.com%2Fauburnfootball%2F2024%2F11%2Fauburn-football-receives-an-emotional-surprise-before-the-iron-bowl.html
Amid his recovery, Brian’s Auburn spirit remains strong. According to the most recent family update, he watched Auburn’s victory over Texas A&M, with his reaction described as “priceless.”