Former standout Riverside County High School football player paralyzed after neck injury

Article

TEMECULA, California. – The life of Jason Pugal, a student-athlete from Riverside County, changed forever after he suffered a traumatic injury early in his college career that left him paralyzed.

Pugal attended Great Oak High School in Temecula. He attended Palomar College in San Diego County before transferring to Chadron State College in Nebraska, where he suffered the catastrophic injury.

On a GoFundMe page set up to support Pugal's long road to recovery, his brother Kyle Pugal explained that he suffered a severe neck fracture during football practice that compressed his sixth cervical vertebra.

His brother said the 20-year-old had “already undergone spinal fusion to stabilize his neck and protect his spinal cord.”

“As you can all imagine, we are all suffering, but our faith has rooted and anchored us in love and we trust that God has a plan for all of us,” his brother added.

In an update Thursday, his family said they had raised enough money to fly him home, but said he still faces a long road to recovery.

Click here for more information.