KANSAS CITY, Mo. A teenager from Liberty is on a long road to recovery.

He’s healing from the effects of a football injury that left him temporarily paralyzed in September. On Wednesday, he was visited by coaches from a college football program where he’s always dreamed of playing.

Physical therapists at Ability K-C say 14-year-old Julius Byers doesn’t like to talk about the play that left him paralyzed on the football field. He’s being treated and working toward recovery 30 hours per week. 

“I’m just fighting and praying every day and coming here,” Byers said.

Byers continues to work, five weeks after his injury. The freshman was playing defensive back for Liberty High School when a mistake in tackling form left him with three broken bones in his neck and a spinal cord injury. Byers is now able to walk again after weeks of therapy.

“I don’t want other people to give up. I want them to keep fighting and get better, then they can have their lives back,” Byers said.

William Byers, Julius’ father, also played football and realized the high level of injuries seen on the gridiron.

“His courage, his strength, his resilience, too. Being here from the hospital to recovery, it’s kind of overwhelming, but amazing,” William Byers said.

Julius Byers said his dream college football program is MoWest, the Division Two athletic program from St. Joseph, Missouri. He said he visited there once as a kid and fell in love with Griffon Athletics.

Wednesday’s therapy session begins with a visit from Tyler Fenwick, head football coach at MoWest. The coach arrived with gifts, including a MoWest jersey bearing the number 13, Byers’ number at Liberty High. The coach also invited Byers to conduct the opening coin toss at a Griffons game in two weeks, where he’ll suit up as an honorary captain.

“When football is over, or something happens with relationships or accidents or whatever happens, you’ve got to be able to get back up. You have to be able to stand back up and put the next foot forward,” Fenwick said.

As for what’s next, William Byers says he doesn’t believe his son will ever play contact sports again. Julius is looking forward to Saturday, October 18, his moment in MoWest’s spotlight, when they face Pitt State.