People in Houtzdale love football. Training camp will begin in just a few weeks, but one young man in particular is especially eager to get back on the field.
Clearfield native Christian Lezzer is no stranger to big hits. Just ask opposing quarterbacks.
Last year Christian thought he suffered a career ending hit and concussion, and walked away from the game of football.
The road to get back on the grid iron was long and thorough. For three months. Christian underwent a barrage of tests from the top minds in the country, to see if he could once again strap on the pads.
He told us, “I was meeting with some of the top neurologists in the country at Harvard and Boston University where they’re doing a lot of the concussion research. I would kind of meet with them at least twice a week, and then doing all the evaluations and tests. That’s when they kind of cleared me, and said, ‘hey, you’re good to go and play all contact sports if that’s what you want to do’.”
After being given the thumbs up, he took visits to Buffalo, Penn State, the University of Arizona, and the University of Central Florida.
Where ever he decided, Christian would have to sit out a season because of the NCAA’s transfer rules, but would be guaranteed two years of playing the game he loves.
His decision guarantees him good weather, as he’ll join the Knights, in the sunshine state.
“Beautiful weather down there,” he says. “A good school academically. I mean it’s a football program on the rise.”
It’s Christian’s second go around with recruiting after signing with Boston College out of high school, but the knowledge he soaked up in his time with the Eagles has him even more prepared for every aspect of the college game, a game he’ll never take for granted.
He says, “at Boston College, I was able to experience first hand what it’s like, and what you’ve got to do to get on the field. I was able to do that, and now that I have a second opportunity. I’m blessed to have a second opportunity, and I’m getting ready to go down to UCF and do it all over again.”
We wish Christian the best of luck this season.