Tennessee Student Film Shows Baseball Player's Recovery

Grayson Pope was weeks away from realizing his dream of playing baseball for the University of Tennessee when an oak tree changed everything.

On June 6, 2023, the high school outfielder was golfing with friends near Birmingham, Alabama when a sudden storm sent a tree crashing onto his golf cart. The impact caused severe brain trauma, including bleeding, swelling, and damage to his brain stem that left doctors uncertain he would survive.

Pope spent 42 days at UAB Hospital, initially in a coma and unable to breathe on his own. As he slowly became more alert, medical staff used creative techniques to engage his injured brain. They ran his fingers over baseball seams and let him smell pine tar, connecting him to the sport he loved.

After leaving UAB, Pope transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for intensive rehabilitation. There, he tackled the basics most of us take for granted: walking, talking, and eating. Each small victory brought him closer to independence.

Tennessee's coaching staff never forgot their commitment. Coaches Tony Vitello and Josh Elander stayed in contact throughout Pope's recovery and honored his scholarship even though he couldn't play. Pope spent his 2026 freshman year with the team, becoming part of the family they'd invited him to join.

Why This Inspires

Two University of Tennessee students, Alexie Cowan and Luke Attal, spent months documenting Pope's journey in a 28-minute film. Their documentary "42 Days: The Grayson Pope Story" premiered on campus in May with nearly the entire baseball team in attendance on their only day off that week.

The film resonated deeply at a recent Athens Movie Palace screening. Marsha Masengil of Englewood saw her own son's story reflected in Pope's recovery. Her son Jeremy had suffered a similar car accident two decades earlier and also rehabilized at the Shepherd Center. She recognized the same determination and positive spirit in both young men.

Pope even made it back to the baseball diamond for his high school senior night, walking to first base after being intentionally walked. The moment captured what his entire journey represented: finding new ways forward when the original path disappears.

The documentary is now available on YouTube, sharing Pope's message of resilience with anyone who needs reminding that recovery is possible.