Toby Gerhart visits Matt Blea at VMC – what a winning team!

You likely remember reading about Matt Blea, the high school student injured on the football field on Thanksgiving. Well today Toby Gerhart, Stanford University football star and Heisman Trophy runner-up, came to visit while Matt is back at Valley Medical Center for rehab!

Matt, just weeks after life-saving surgery, started his day jogging in the grass outside the Rehab Unit where his progress has been amazing. Matt had no idea that Toby, one of the players he especially looks up to, was planning to visit him. Toby had heard about the high-schooler’s injury from his coach, and decided to pay Matt a visit.

Coming directly to Valley Medical Center from The Stanford team’s practice for their New Years Eve Sun Bowl game against Oklahoma , Toby met Matt in the day room of Valley Medical Center’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation unit.

Toby was accompanied by Stanford football assistant coach, Tom Steiner, and as family, staff and other patients looked on, Matt accepted gifts of a Stanford jersey and a signed football.

Matt told Toby that he was a huge fan, and shared that his goal was to become a high school coach one day. Toby said how impressed he was with Matt’s progress, and congratulated Matt on his planned discharge from VMC on Christmas Eve – the perfect present!