Keenan Pili releases heartfelt statement after suffering season-ending injury
Tennessee star Keenan Pili has released a statement after suffering a season-ending injury in last week’s game against Florida. He was diagnosed with a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the year as a result.
Pili went down in the first quarter of the overtime victory over Florida and didn’t return to the game. Josh Heupel later confirmed it was a torn ACL, meaning his season was over.
Pili took to social media to share a message to his family, friends, fans and teammates. He also had two words attached to it – “BEAT BAMA,” ahead of this week’s Third Saturday in October matchup.
“To my brothers, coaches and staff, thank you for helping me become a better man on and off the field,” Pili wrote. “Let’s go finish what we started! To my family, wife and baby boy on the way, thank you for sacrificing for me to live my dream. I hope I made you proud. To Tennessee, friends and fans, thank you for treating me as family and giving me a place I can always call home. Your love and support has been felt during this time.
“To the game of football, I don’t know what the future holds, but thank you for a lifetime of memories I will cherish and never forget. As hard and confusing as life may be, I thank my Father in Heaven for allowing me to play this game, and I trust in His Plan. Same book, new chapter.”
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Keenan Pili was in the midst of an impressive season at the time of his injury. He had 29 total tackles to go with two tackles for loss in his second season at Tennessee. He started his career at BYU, spending four years in Provo before arriving on Rocky Top last year.
But Pili’s impact goes beyond the football field, Heupel said. His presence will also be missed in the locker room on a game-in, game-out basis.
“Keenan – I said it after the game. There’s nobody that represents Tennessee better than him. He’s a great leader and will continue to be that inside of our building,” said Heupel. “Just, you know, heartbroken for him and his family. A guy that does absolutely everything right and, you know, is special. A special player but a special person too. He has got a great future.”