FSU freshman linebacker returns to campus and has us all smiling with tears of joy

This is a moment that everyone should feel good about.

FSU linebacker Ethan Pritchard was released from the hospital a couple of days ago and, since then, the freshman has been back on campus and will attend tonight's game against Virginia Tech. 

Pritchard's return to Florida State was released in a video by FSU Football's social team.

Pritchard's road to recovery serves as an inspiration

The FSU linebacker from Sanford, Florida, was caught in the crossfire of an apparent random act of violence and shot in the back of the head on September 1, a day after FSU opened its season with a win over Alabama. Pritchard has been in a Tallahassee-area hospital since then.

His father, Earl Pritchard, was a guest on the sidelines the following week when the Seminoles took on East Texas A&M and told Mike Norvell before the game that he knew where his son wants to be and he wanted to stand in place for him. After the game he broke the rock, symbolizing a successful week of work. 

Pritchard's future in football is unknown. He's currently getting around by way of a motorized wheelchair and his full recovery is going to take months, if not years. But the fact that Pritchard will be able to return home to his family and have special moments like today, where he can be around his teammates, is a great story in itself. 

Norvell was emotional when talking about Pritchard

When the coach was asked about what it meant for Earl Pritchard to spend that Saturday with the Seminoles' football team, he was overcome with emotion.

"Ethan is one of my favorites," Norvell said. "To know that, right now, [football is] taken away from him in a senseless act and something that you don't always know why. You don't know why you have to go through things in life. You don't understand the reasoning, but I do believe that God has his hand over Ethan and this football team and all the relationships."