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Eric LeGrand is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker who has become a powerful voice for the paralysis community. A former Rutgers University football star, Eric sustained a spinal cord injury in 2010. Since then, he has defied expectations through a rigorous recovery journey and a tireless commitment to helping others "bELieve."
In 2013, he launched Team LeGrand, a fundraising arm of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. To date, the initiative has raised over $2 million to support spinal cord injury research and improve quality of life for the nearly six million Americans living with paralysis.
Beyond his advocacy, Eric is a versatile professional and savvy entrepreneur:
- Media & Speaking: He is an author, a podcast host (A Cup of bELieve), and a sports analyst for ESPN, SiriusXM, and the Big Ten Network.
- Business Ventures: He founded Shop Fifty Two, launched LeGrand Coffee House (with two locations in New Jersey) and co-founded Eric LeGrand Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
- Community Impact: He co-founded the Knight Society, a Rutgers-based collective, and continues to serve as a sought-after keynote speaker.
Eric’s resilience has earned him prestigious honors, including the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPYs and the WWE Warrior Award. A graduate of Rutgers University and a former signee of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Eric remains dedicated to Christopher Reeve’s dream of a world with empty wheelchairs, transforming every obstacle into an opportunity.
