Tennessee Baseball Honors Scholarship After Tree Accident

The voice from the back of the theater said it all: "I'm already crying!" The film had barely started.

Over 200 people packed an Athens, Tennessee movie theater last week to watch "42 Days: The Grayson Pope Story." The 28-minute documentary tells how a college baseball recruit defied the odds after a freak accident nearly took his life.

On June 6, 2023, Pope was golfing with friends when a sudden storm knocked down an oak tree. It landed directly on his golf cart. The 17-year-old suffered severe brain trauma with bleeding, swelling, and damage to his brain stem.

Doctors at UAB Hospital in Birmingham weren't certain Pope would survive. He spent 42 days there, starting in a coma and unable to breathe without assistance. His family could only wait and hope.

But Pope started responding to treatment. Medical staff used baseball to reach him, running his fingers over the seams of a ball and letting him smell pine tar. The familiar sensations helped spark his recovery.

After discharge, Pope transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. There, he relearned basic skills most people take for granted: walking, talking, and eating. Each small victory brought him closer to independence.

By his high school senior night, Pope walked onto the baseball diamond again. The opposing team intentionally walked him so he could reach first base. The crowd erupted.

Just weeks before the accident, Pope had committed to play outfield for the University of Tennessee. Coaches Tony Vitello and Josh Elander stayed in touch throughout his recovery. When Pope arrived on campus in 2026, they honored their scholarship offer, even though he couldn't play.

"If we're going to invite you into the family, we wanted it to be a match," Elander explained in the film. Pope spent his freshman year with the team, becoming part of the Volunteers family.

Why This Inspires

Tennessee student filmmakers Alexie Cowan and Luke Attal created the documentary to share Pope's journey. When they premiered it on campus in May, nearly the entire baseball team showed up on their only day off that week.

For audience member Marsha Masengil, the film hit close to home. Her son Jeremy had survived a similar accident two decades ago and also recovered at the Shepherd Center. She saw the same determination in Pope that carried her son through.

"Nobody's story is perfect, but that's just the way it is," Masengil said. "Things sometimes happen to the best."

Pope's story proves that some promises matter more than statistics.