A recent article, posted in the Lakeland Ledger, discusses offensive linemen for the University of Florida, Maurkice and Mike Pouncey (twins), graduates of Lakeland High School in Lakeland, FL. As these young men create openings for Heisman Trohpy-winning quarterback, Tim Tebow, who many like to call "Superman," they are reminded of a hero close to home: their stepfather, Robert Webster.
After losing his right leg in a tragic railway accident, Webster no longer felt that he was worthy of this title. "He said, 'I'm not Superman no more. I'm just a regular human,'" recalled his wife and the twins' mother, Lisa Webster.
The twins beg to disagree though. Mike stated that his stepfather now proves to be a lot tougher than Mike originally thought. Mike said, "Any guy who could go through an accident like that and not be knocked out afterward ... That's why I go out and practice as hard as I can for him."
And Maurkice only agrees with his twin brother. "My dad's a gladiator, man; he's going to fight it till the end," Maurkice Pouncey said. "He's the most powerful guy. He understands what happened, but he's a gladiator."
Webster was an offensive and defensive lineman in High School and attended Louisiana Tech on a football scholarship. He was unable to complete college due to academic problems.
Webster's future was forever changed last November when his leg was severely injured last November while he was working for Lakeland Animal Nutrition in Lakeland, FL.
That night, Webster arrived for work at excited about Florida's upcoming game at rival Florida State. He was moving a pair of rail cars that were full of animal feed, when he tried to set the front car's brake and it failed to engage. He had done this many times before, but this had never happened. He hopped onto the second car, and turned a wheel to set its brake, but it didn't stop.
Webster tried jumping free to avoid the collision with parked rail cars, but his foot was caught on the track and he fell onto his back. In moments, a wheel of the multiton rail car rolled over his right thigh.
Webster was supposed to be flown to have his leg reattached when the emergency medical team arrived, but his bone was too mashed and mangled to be reattached, according to the medic.
Even in that moment, Webster was not thinking of himself, the twins' future. Just two days after the accident, he ordered them to return to Gainesville so they could put all their hard work into action. He refused to show his family any signs of weakness. "Life goes on," Webster says.
What a heroic story! Webster is a real life testimony to all injured victims whose lives are forever changed by tragedy. Legal remedies are available to bring economic relief to injured victims; however, they cannot restore one's health. Ultimately, the individual's life is forever changed. Only he can find the inner strength to go on with life. No lawyer, judge or jury can do it for him.
