Rodney Sumter Jr. is lucky to be alive. The 27-year-old worked as a bartender at Pulse in Orlando and was shot three times – in the back and in both arms – as he tried to escape during the attack on the nightclub.
As he stumbled out of the club he was spotted by another young man, Josh McGill, a nursing student, who grabbed him and used his shirt as a tourniquet to help slow the bleeding. Josh said later he believes God put him in the club that night so he could help save Sumter’s life.
Thankfully, Sumter, a father to twin girls, is now on the mend. On Tuesday, he got a special visit from one of his former teammates – Tim Tebow.
Tebow and Sumter played football together when they both attended Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, Florida. Sumter, a wide receiver, caught passes from the celebrated quarterback.
After high school, Sumter played college football at Jacksonville University while Tebow went on to win two national titles and a Heisman Trophy at the University of Florida.
“My high school quarterback left the Bahamas to come and see me,” Sumter wrote in an Instagram post. “Tebow has always been an awesome person.”
It is clear Tebow has had a great influence on his former teammate. Sumter has been posting updates about his progress on his Instagram page, and in one post referenced the faith Tebow has so famously proclaimed, even quoting the verse Tebow often had written on his eye black during games.
“No weapons formed against me shall prosper,” he wrote. “Life changing experience and I don’t want to do anything but share my testimony and turn my life over to the lord. I don’t have my phone so I can’t respond to you all through text or Facebook just yet…But thank you so so so much for the heavy support that I have received. It definitely hasn’t gone unnoticed. Still in excruciating pain but ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’-Philippians 4:13”
We wish Sumter the best with his recovery!
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