Sports
�Miracle� takes Thomason to Shorter
Isaac Thomason knows adversity.
He considers it a �miracle of God� that he was able to play football his senior year and win a Georgia Football League state championship with the Christian Heritage Lions.
Thomason was diagnosed at birth with hydrocephalus, a serious condition in which cerebral fluid doesn�t drain properly from the brain and causes severe swelling. Because of his condition, he had a shunt surgically implanted into his brain at 3 months old.
Though doctors gave him clearance to play contact sports, Thomason�s condition still caused problems. His shunt failed in November 2007 and that led to six surgeries in less than two months.
�The doctors said they almost lost me under the anesthesia during one of the surgeries,� said Thomason, who served as team captain for the Lions in 2008.
Today, Thomason not only has a clean bill of health, but the opportunity to play college football as well.
The 6-foot, 220-pounder will join Shorter College�s football team as a preferred walk-on next season. He won�t have to try out and will begin practicing with the Hawks on Aug. 5. He�ll likely play guard.
�I�m excited to get to take my game to the next level,� said Thomason, who expects to redshirt his freshman year. �It�s just a blessing from God, because not many people get to go on to college to play football.�
Thomason will go to Shorter on an academic scholarship, though he said there will be opportunities for him to earn athletic scholarship money down the road. The Hawks, coached by Phil Jones, are entering their fifth year and compete in the Mid-South Conference of the NAIA.
Thomason comes to the program at a good time. The Hawks won their first conference championship last season before losing to University of the Cumberlands in the first round of the NAIA playoffs. It was their first postseason appearance.
Having come off an undefeated championship season with the Lions, Thomason wants to keep winning.
�When I get there, I�m hoping maybe we can compete for a national title,� Thomason said. �Who knows? They won their conference last season and we won state.�
Thomason realizes the adjustment he�ll have to make to succeed at the college level. He�s anticipating a much thicker playbook, different schemes he�ll have to put into perspective and higher demands from his new coach.
Christian Heritage coach Mike Vaden believes Thomason is more than ready to make the necessary adjustments to succeed.
�He shows a tremendous desire to play football,� Vaden said. �And the leadership skills he�s developed over the years in high school will be a benefit to the program.�
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