Cooped up in a hospital bed in late July, about a week away from training camp, punter David Lerner answered his phone. It was Will Muschamp.
“How you feeling?” Muschamp asked.
“Well, my insides feel terrible,” Lerner said, “but my leg still works. I can promise you that.”
Lerner had just been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel condition that can lead to abdominal pain, diarrhea and malnutrition. He lost 15 pounds as a result; still, when it came time to practice, Lerner was on the field, competing with freshman Kyle Christy for a starting position.
“There has never been a time in my life where I’ve been more happy to go to practice and be around the guys,” Lerner said Thursday. “Even just to get screamed at, it’s so much better than sitting in a hospital. It’s really made me realize that we take a lot of stuff for granted. Just eating solid food is like a blessing.”
Lerner started feeling pain in his stomach on July 22. He lost his appetite, and team trainers took him to a doctor. Even though former teammate Carl Johnson also battled Crohn’s, Lerner did not know anything about the disease. He was only aware of the illness because he had seen educational commercials on TV.
He is on medication and will receive a couple hours of IV treatment every two months, and team nutritionists have helped him create a safe diet. Whole wheat is the only type of food he has struggled with since the diagnosis.
During his hospital stint, Lerner received supportive text messages from teammates, but it was Muschamp’s call that encouraged him the most.
“I was definitely depressed with everything that was going on, and that kind of gave me some hope,” he said. “(Muschamp) told me, ‘We care about you; anything you need, we’ll get it for you.’ That was really helpful.”
Lerner, a redshirt junior, has not seen game action in his three seasons but was one of four Gators walk-ons to receive a scholarship last week. He has spent his college career behind Chas Henry, the 2010 Ray Guy Award winner and All-American.
But now Henry is gone, giving Lerner his best chance to crack the starting lineup. To do so, he will have to beat out Christy, a three-star recruit from Brownsburg (Ind.) High.
Lerner said he takes more breaks than usual during practices, though mostly only after a coach’s suggestion.
“There are some days I just don’t have as much energy as I normally would,” he said. “That causes me to struggle a little bit. But, for the most part, I feel good enough to practice.”
Extra water breaks or not, Muschamp said he has been impressed with Lerner’s determination to get back on the field. Many people with the disease are barely able to leave their homes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
“The true test of someone is shown through adversity, and he’s going through a tough time,” Muschamp said. “He has not complained or anything. … Certainly, he’s an inspiration to me.
“Tough times don’t last. Tough people do. And he’s a tough young man.”
Contact Tyler Jett at tjett@alligator.org
