This is my story after highschool up to present day. I truely believe that theres 10x the potential in everyone that they ever expeiernce for them selves…what one man can do, another can do`
My names is Phil Cappadora, you can call me PJ, Philly, or scooter haha` Whatever makes ya smile. My story is one in a billion, no contest. Sure enough, a billion people can relate to this story im sure, however every story is different. This is my story after high school.
The day after I graduated high school the first thing my mom said to me was "Do you miss it already"? Sure enough with a grin i said "NOPE". I couldnt wait to go to college and get a degree in plumbing and heating. Those guys made bucks. Over the Summer I worked as an ordinary plumber, and since mom and dad didnt have much money at the time I was motivated to make the money myself.
I held that job for 6 months and got the boot for some BS. But that didnt stop me i managed to save thousands. The following Summer I became an Iron Worker for a NYC Union. Things were looking great and I had every hope resting on the up come football season`
I trained hard and wroked out in my yard` I didnt have much weights but i used everything we had…I Draged tires to build my speed, I drilled to rocks to work on my agility and I toughened my uper body with a heavy bag` My results were paying off tramendeously when I out sprinted my sisters BF "Huntly" (He ended up being the defencive lineman of the year). Things were looking awsome & to keep my Endurance i played in my friends rec basket ball league during the summer too. I worked full time…trained full time, and ate FULL time:)`
Augest 7th was just around the corner, but i knew I was ready for the challenge. The date was Augest 1st, 2006. I had a great day at work and I showered and got ready for the Champion ship game that night. I led the team in steals that year. I wasnt much for points but defenceively I did damn good.
Mites left in the first half I was going for a rebound that headed for the sidelines. I was all over it…I went up, and the next thing i remeber is that im DOWN!!! I has no idea what happened but i managed to roll off the court. My sholder was in so much pain and when i tried to stand I could barley get up….My anckle had a clean crack that tore a tendon and the AC in my sholder was seperated. There wasnt any cell service and i knew i was in trouble…I played it cool that i was ok and just sat on the bench as i regaind my focuss…I knew i had to get to a Hospital. My adrenalin was pulseing and I was sooo hot. I had to get out of there…I wished the team good luck but i had to leave` The Hospital wasn’t far so I drove myself there. I told the nurses what happened and they got me on a wheel chair. The longer i sat down the colder i became…About 45 minites later, the pain hit me HARD!
The hospital called my mother and I text my Girlfriend telling her where i was. She took it just as hard as i did. I have to take a second to say that my GF (Summer) never left my side she was beside me even to this day. Thanks Princess, Ti Amo.
My injuries were caused by the central air unit hanging on the ceiling. It leaked a puddle the size of my hand on the court…I lost my job, my NFL draft chances, and to be the first in my family to play college ball all in one night.
I wasnt insured since i couldnt go to school and i didnt have enough hours with the union. I was Fu#*ed! Every single dolar i earned went right into PT, Xrays, and bills. You name it I payed for it… I was sick to my stomach. I was in a cast and sling for a month! And when I regainded my strength, still in alot of pain, i worked in NYC as Iron worker to get some $ and hours for insurance. I knew i wasnt dont with PT but i was straved to get it! I knew i needed to work 450 hours and it would activae July 1st. So i assumed you needed to work the 6 months… So from the beging of december I worked all winter. 20 degree weather the whole season` You can not imagine what it was like…I didnt miss a day of work, and it just went so fast i ignored as uch of it as i could. Sure enough i made it to the spring and was glad it was geting warm.
Just my luck I get hurt again…check this. While working on a column, a guy walking on a scafold above me slips and drops a pile of steel! Knocked out my partener and for a second i thought broke my hand. Rest asure my hand developed into iron from working with it in the snow. Me and my partener ended up ok. For now.
On May 22nd I got my knee pinned between a ‘mat’ and the side of the pit we were working in….I thought i was fine, but the next moring I felt paralyzed. I mean i could seriously not move a muscle…My knee was literally on fire. I managed to get myself moveing and i needed to get my coverage. A million things must have been going throuhg my head. I got dressed for work but i knew I needed help. I told my forman that i couldnt come in the rest of the week. So I took some time off to heal and waited till i had coverage to get a doctor. I didnt know about compensation so right now I have an atturney working on that situation while another attourney is takeing care of that AC unit accident.
To this day im still in pain. You have know idea how much I Love the game of football. I love everything about it. It was love that motivated me to go for my dream` I am not a quiter I go for for everything to the best of my capablity.
I have dead arm sydrome and my anckle needs serious attention. Its difficult to walk up or down stairs because of my knee…I know pain will heal but at the same time…my heart is breaking for the amount of time i have lost…
Its hard…its so hard. I can barley sleep anymore and my weight is alway up and down. I am home all day long and its depressing, I dont know why people want to retire its awful being home doing nothing…I feel sick now writeing about it…yet its good to get it out of my system…If you read this far thank you so much`
I have till January 1st untill im no longer covered in the unioun. So if i need surgeries they need to be done soon. I’ll have no choice but to go to a comunity college and go full time…I am excited to get back into it, idk how i’ll do but im will to try and to my best. There’s so much more I can tell you and thank you so much for reading my story. But theres no ending to this story…Everyday is a new day and a new begining, Life is the greatest thing anyone can have. I forget that sometimes…i think we all do. If there was ever a wish I could have granted it is that for everyone to have faith.
Never doubt your self or your beliefs. Faith is what will give you hope, and hope is as imparative to air and water….
You are where you are today for a reason. Life is a Journey…
Live every minite of it`
With Love…..
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