Even after leaping for a pass left his back tangled and his body in pain, Eric Plotz jumped at the chance to play sports again.

The Marmion junior from Geneva fought the instincts of every injured athlete. His ability to win that bout helped him return to competition.

Plotz suffered a stress fracture in his back after he was hit during the second game of the Marmion sophomores’ 2011 football season, but played and practiced with discomfort for the next few days. His parents, Rick and Kelli, recommended their son see a doctor, a path that eventually led Plotz to rest and rebuilding, his ultimate road to recovery.