Playing in Shrine football game among Fleming's Goals

Published in The Burlington Free Press
By Alex Abrami

Suffering an ACL injury on the second play from scrimmage in last year’s Division II semifinal, Champlain Valley Union High School quarterback Konnor Fleming’s football future was in jeopardy. The Redhawks lost the game, and Fleming tore up his right knee, a crushing blow to his senior season and collegiate plans. “When it happened, I was certainly devastated. I thought my football career may be over,” Fleming said.

With an invitation to the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl — a senior all-star game against New Hampshire — on the table, Fleming was determined to play. Also hoping to play lacrosse in the spring, Fleming returned to the practice fields less than five months after surgery. His doctor’s original prognosis was six-to-eight months.

“First and foremost I wanted to get back to sports. Another goal was to get a state championship and lacrosse was the last chance,” said Fleming, listing off his driving factors during rehabilitation. “(Shrine) was up the list. I have another chance to play ball, and for it to be the last (high school) experience — it’s a nice outlet and sense of relief.”

Fleming checked off one goal after helping the Redhawks win the Division I lacrosse title in June. Next month, he’ll notch another when he plays in the Shrine game, an event that also raises money for the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The trip to the hospital will change your life, said Vermont coach Jim Provost, who last led the Green Mountain State against the Granite State in 1990. “If you lose sight of why you are playing the game, then it becomes a chore,” said Provost, CVU’s coach. Fleming understands that. “We are playing the game we love and giving 100 percent for a good cause,” Fleming said. “That will only be strengthened, and our appreciation will only go up once we get to camp and visit the hospitals.”

A two-time Burlington Free Press first-team selection for his play on the defensive side of the ball, Fleming will attend Macalester College, a private liberal arts school in Minnesota, to play football.