A shoulder injury sent him to the hospital, but the Norcross teen refused to stay sidelined. Through patience, perseverance and the help of a world class team of Northside Hospital orthopedic experts, the talented football and baseball player would save his season.
Tommie Traylor is the latest Northside Hospital Comeback Athlete of the Week, and this is his story.
It all started with a pop
Tommie Traylor thought his shoulder was fine. After it popped out during his senior year, the Norcross teen watched it slide back into place and figured he would return to sports soon. Then it happened again.
"When it popped out again, everything changed," Tommie wrote. "I was scared and confused because I realized this was more serious than I had originally thought."
His blood pressure was spiking, sending him rushing to the hospital. Surgery followed during Thanksgiving week. For a senior football player hoping to build film for college scouts, the timing was difficult. Tommie refused to let the injury define his final season.
"Finding out that I needed surgery was difficult," he wrote. "I was a football and baseball player who wanted to be on the field, and suddenly I had to focus on healing. I was concerned about missing games, falling behind and whether I would be able to return to the sports I love."
From a painful recovery to player of the week
Supporting the largest high school athletic outreach program in the Southeast, Northside Hospital Orthopedics serves over 50 Georgia schools, providing sports medicine specialists, athletic trainers and more to safely bring out the best in local athletes. Northside is the official healthcare provider for Georgia State University athletics, Reinhardt University and Georgia Gwinnett College. These partnerships are powered by a massive team of world class health experts with a unified goal: getting student-athletes, like Tommie, safely back to doing what they love most.
For Tommie, recovery meant weeks of waiting to heal, then many more weeks of rehabilitation to build his strength, mobility and confidence. At many points, it was frustrating — fatiguing. As his teammates continued their season without delay, the process began testing his patience. Recovery, however, happens one step at a time. It's a war won through small victories.
"At the same time, recovery was empowering because I could see myself getting stronger," he wrote. "Every improvement in physical therapy reminded me that I was moving forward. The experience taught me mental toughness, patience, and the importance of trusting the process."
Tommie eventually returned to baseball, starting with light work. He knew he could not immediately do everything he had done before the injury. It took about half the baseball season before he began feeling like himself.
He returned to football too, playing offense and defense. By the end of the season, he was better than ever.
"Being able to compete again was a major accomplishment for me," Tommie wrote. "Although I missed a lot of opportunities to gain film for college scouts in football this year, I am back playing both sides of the ball during my senior season. In Week 2, I was named Defensive Player of the Week, and in Week 3, I was named Special Teams Player of the Week."
The honors came after months of uncertainty, surgery and rehabilitation. It took patience and hard work, but — for Tommie — it was a worthy comeback.
“Making my comeback meant everything to me,” Traylor said. “After surgery, physical therapy and missing so much time, being back on the field reminded me why I work so hard. It was a pivotal moment because I realized that setbacks don’t have to determine how your story ends.”
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*The health story shared here is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult with their own physician before making medical decisions.
