Walk away in style

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Dressed in a gray Penn State T-shirt and sweat pants, Adam Taliaferro lounged on a cushioned bench in the trainer’s room, smiled and laughed about life after Happy Valley.

A severe neck injury while making a tackle during a game against Ohio State in 2000 may have ended his football-playing days, but it hasn’t prevented Taliaferro from dreaming about the NFL.

Taliaferro, an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan, graduated Saturday with a degree in labor studies and industrial relations. He starts law school later this month at Rutgers, and is considering becoming a sports agent.

The topic of discussion in the trainer’s room on a recent morning: What would Taliaferro do if he were representing Eagles star wide receiver Terrell Owens, who skipped a minicamp last month because he wants to redo a seven-year deal worth nearly $49 million?

“I’d tell them to ‘Show me the money,’ ” he jokes, eliciting a chuckle from Penn State trainer George Salvaterra and several others nearby.

Those close to Taliaferro say it’s a rare day when they don’t see the one-time freshman phenom flash his contagious smile or exude a positive, can-do attitude. That was evident even in the days and weeks immediately following his injury when doctors feared that he would never walk again.

Salvaterra has the moment of the injury – in the closing minutes against the Buckeyes on Sept. 23, 2000 – recorded on a videotape that sits atop of a stack of tapes in his office.

“It’s something you never forget,” Salvaterra said, watching the tape and queuing it back and forth in slow motion.

“I think if it wasn’t such a positive outcome for the kid, it would be something I wouldn’t look at,” he added. On a locker near the TV is a photo taken weeks after the injury of team members and others organized into a “43” on a football field – Taliaferro’s jersey number.

Taliaferro left the hospital three months after the injury and began walking unassisted soon afterward. On Sept. 1, 2001, following a grueling rehabilitation regimen that he still follows today, Taliaferro walked back out onto the Beaver Stadium field before a game for the first time since his injury.

Today, running is still out of the question; even a weekend game of touch football is off limits. “The best thing I can do now is have a catch,” he said.

Taliaferro has involuntary contractions in his calf muscles that make it look like he has a hop in his step, Salvaterra said. Taliaferro also can’t completely grip his hands and will likely undergo surgery to help address that problem.

Taliaferro’s father, Andre Taliaferro, said he’s just thankful his son can walk.

“Graduation day is a dream after all we’ve been through,” Andre Taliaferro said. “We are fulfilling a dream. He’s healthy and he’s walking; he’s walking to get his diploma.”

Andre Taliaferro talks proudly of his son’s academic accomplishments. Adam, he boasts, had already been an honors student in high school when he arrived at Penn State.

But Adam Taliaferro said the injury forced him to renew focus on academics after his playing career ended. As a freshman, he didn’t know what he wanted to do beyond football, so he took an occupational test that would help him figure out his interests. The tests pointed him to law.

“It’s funny. I kind of feel fortunate that at the early stage of my college career (the injury) forced me to focus on where I wanted to go in the future,” he said.

The days leading to graduation are filled with last goodbyes and bittersweet memories for Taliaferro. He kept a locker in the locker room even after his injury, though he finally had to clear out earlier this week.

“A.T.!” shouted defensive end Tamba Hali before slapping hands with Taliaferro as the two passed each other in the locker room. Taliaferro walked over to a couple of other teammates, fresh out of the weight room, to make plans to meet later in the day.

Taliaferro also wants to continue to be a role model to others recovering from similar injuries or long-term illnesses.

“The first thing I try to do is look them in the face and see if they are gloomy. If they are, I’ll call them on it,” he said. “If they are positive … when I see their eyes light up, it tells me they are making progress.”