Moeller baseball player returns to field two years after near-fatal injury
Junior Connor Maupin suffered traumatic brain injury during freshman football game in 2023
CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Connor Maupin is two wins away from a state championship with the Moeller baseball team, a milestone that seemed impossible three years ago.
The junior is one of four sons in the Maupin family and a key player for Moeller as the team returns to the state final four for the first time since 2023.
That same year, Maupin suffered a traumatic brain injury during a freshman football game in the fall of 2023. A hit during the game left him completely unresponsive in the back of an ambulance.
“In the ambulance, they did think they were going to have to bring him back,” said Leah Maupin, Connor’s mother. “I saw he was not moving at all. I immediately started praying over him.”
Maupin said he does not remember the incident or being in the hospital.
Recovery required relearning basic skills
After the injury, Maupin had to relearn how to walk, talk and eat. His mother and family supported him through physical therapy and rehabilitation.
“I was in PT and couldn’t do anything,” Maupin said.
His family documented the recovery process as he worked through each step of rehabilitation.
“I’ve prayed with my boys since they were little. Lord, make them a man among men, leader among leaders, strong, resilient and humble and loving and make them a good man in the storm,” Leah Maupin said. “Connor has fully exceeded that.”
Two years after the injury, Maupin returned to the football field in the fall. He is now playing baseball for Moeller as the team competes for a state championship.
“Just that team spirit is there and his own individual spirit. To watch him, I forget about the injury because he’s flying around and making plays,” said Tim Held, Moeller head coach.
Maupin said people recognize him from the incident.
“People are like, you’re the one that died on the football field,” he said. “To get back out there and know what I accomplished feels great.”
Maupin said he questioned why the injury happened, but believes it happened for a reason.
Moeller plays in the state semifinals Thursday in Akron. The team is two wins from its tenth state title in program history.
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