Silver Spring Native Overcomes Horrific Accident, Eager to Resume Football Career

Lying in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, football was the absolute last thing on Pete DeSouza’s mind.

“I was more thinking about whether I’d ever be able to walk again and be able to live an everyday life,” recalled DeSouza, a former Dematha football standout currently in the midst of his redshirt sophomore season with the University of Maryland football team.

On a Thursday night last October, just two days before Maryland was set to play Boston College, the 6-foot-6, 310 pound DeSouza was on his way back to his dorm room from study hall when the scooter he was driving was struck by another car, which had made a left turn in front of him. The other car’s driver was eventually ticketed for failing to yield the right of way. The accident, though, left DeSouza with two broken legs, required immediate surgery, and put his football future very much up in the air.

Yet, once DeSouza received assurance from his doctor that he would indeed be able to walk again, his focus quickly shifted to football, and doing everything in his power to work his way back onto the field, no matter how long it would take.

And now, almost a year later, and after 10 months of rehabilitation, DeSouza, an offensive tackle, finds himself back on the practice field for the Terrapins.

He was cleared for full contact Aug. 2.

“His story’s pretty amazing,” fellow Maryland offensive lineman Andrew Gonnella said of DeSouza. “It’s a big surprise to have him back on the field this fast. He’s a hard worker, though, and has done everything he can to overcome this.”

Gonnella added, “And during [preseason practice], I just saw him get continuously better and better, and back into football shape, and I think he’ll eventually work his way into having an impact on the field.”

Prior to the accident, DeSouza had earned the Terrapins’ starting right tackle job, and had started three games during the early part of last season.

Now, DeSouza is hoping to eventually be able to work back into that same role. During preseason camp, he worked mostly with Maryland’s third-team offense while trying to “shake off the rust” and work his way back into football shape.

“I’m extremely grateful when I look back on everything,” DeSouza said. “But I’ve kind of moved on from that to a certain degree."

He added, "I’m just focused on the present and on trying to get myself back to where I was last year. I’m also looking towards the future and looking forward to being able to get back to fully playing and being able to get out on the field [during a regular season game].”

Maryland offensive line coach Tom Bratton is looking forward to that day as well, although he says there is no timetable on when that will happen.

Asked what his reaction will be when it does happen, though, Bratton said, “I’ll have unadulterated joy for Pete.”

“It’s remarkable that he’s even back on the [practice] field,” Bratton said. “But it’s really a credit to him. A lot of guys would’ve given up along the way, but not Pete. It’s been a very hard process, but he’s been extremely persistent, hung in there and done a great job. I’m very, very proud of him.”