Kevin Ware Says Leg Injury Helps Him Become More Mature

Apr 05, 2013 03:49 PM EDT

Louisville Kevin Ware’s freak accident has been trending on major search engines since Sunday’s game against Duke, where his leg twisted in a right angle upon landing from an attempted block. His teammates and audiences recoiled in horror as they saw “white” sticking six inches out of his right leg.

In an interview article titled “Missing Final Four, But Still Trusting God” with Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Ware’s mom Lisa Junior said she doesn’t yet know the reason for her son’s injury, but “I think it’s all in preparation for a bigger plan.”

Lisa Junior, the sophomore guard’s mother, said that as soon as she and Ware’s stepfather heard the announcement and saw the reply of his injury, they were devastated. “We just want to hear from Kevin.”

Junior and her husband prayed that the injury wouldn’t be serious. Louisville forward Luke Hancock had also prayed for Ware on the court, kneeling over his teammate.

The game before the NCAA Basketball Final took place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Ware was taken to a nearby hospital to receive immediate surgery treatment. At the hospital, he called his mom and told her to calm down and that he was okay.

Junior expressed gratitude that her son remembered to give her a call as she was distraught from not knowing what to expect. She and Wesley boarded the plane the next morning to the hospital.

"We don't know why this happened,” she told media earlier this week. “It was a freak accident, but at the end of the day, I believe that there is a reason for it all. Maybe it's not for him; maybe he'll have to pass this testimony onto someone else, but I believe it will make him a better person, a stronger person, and I have no doubt he'll be back bigger and stronger.”


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Throughout her life, Junior has always encouraged her son with Bible verses or lessons that she’s learning in her own life. She said the lesson for her now is patience while trusting in God.

“Whatever His will is, it will be done,” she said.

Inheriting his mom’s conviction, Ware told CNN, “Everything happens for a reason, and this is just another obstacle I had to face. This is all God’s plans… He controls everything…If He kind of felt like that was the last time for me playing basketball, it just opened up so many things with just all the support and everyone that’s really behind me right now. I really appreciate it.”

Ware said this obstacle helps him to become more mature, and he plans to return to practice this fall.