Spanish River player able to speak and walk

But senior Miles Levine remains in guarded condition after colliding Friday with a West Boca High receiver on a pass break-up play.

BOCA RATON — Early Monday, a little more than two days after undergoing more than three hours of brain surgery, Spanish River High senior football player Miles Levine asked his dad if he could play this Friday when his school opens the season at Cardinal Newman.

Levine, a cornerback/receiver and team captain, was injured during last Friday’s preseason game at West Boca High when he collided with a receiver as he was attempting to break up a pass. On Monday, for the first time, he was able to speak without whispering and walk with assistance from both sides. He remains in guarded condition.

Adam Levine, Miles’ father, described the feeling Monday morning as “incredible” and said he and his family felt blessed. “He is doing fantastic,” Adam said. “He is on a positive stretch.”

Miles, though, remains in the intensive care unit at Delray Medical Center. When asked for a prognosis, Adam said they are taking it “minute by minute,” before adding, “all we have to pray is for 100 percent full recovery.”

As for Miles playing football ever again? Adam does know the answer to that question.

“I think my son will be a very good piece of artwork standing on the sidelines,” he said. “My son will not be putting on a helmet. He wants to be a doctor, not a football player. It’s not in his future.

“His essay for college would probably be my first and last game of my senior year.”

Miles’ injury occurred during the fourth quarter. At first, it was not thought to be serious as he walked off the field. But that was before things got scary.

“They wanted to take every precaution so they moved him to the sideline slow and said we’ll evaluate him then,” Spanish River coach Willie Ceasar said. “When they got him to the sideline, the game continued because it didn’t look like it was that serious at that point.

“As the game moved on, I noticed more and more people were coming to the sideline. I said, ‘I need to go take a look and see what’s going on.’ That’s when I saw it turned for the worse and they were saying we got to get him to the hospital.”

Benny Alfonso, a senior wide receiver and one of Miles’ close friends, saw the hit and was in “complete shock” when he later found out about Miles’ condition.

“When he walked off the field, I was ‘All right, he’s fine, I’m just going to finish this game for my brother, there’s nothing more to it,’ ” Alfonso said.

Doctors realized Miles’ condition was worsening when his legs went numb. They then brought over a cart to get him to the ambulance and while on the cart Miles vomited and blacked out. Miles’ dad and his brother, Owen, were on the cart.

“That was the most horrific time of my life lifting my son, putting him in my arms (while on the cart) and taking him out to the parking lot,” Adam said.

At the hospital, doctors told the family Miles had a brain bleed, which shifted his brain. He was immediately prepped for surgery.

Back at the field, Ceasar was told about Miles’ condition by his principal. He gathered the team and they started to pray.

“It was very difficult,” said wide receiver/safety Blake Goldberg, also a captain. “I just couldn’t believe it.”

Miles is well respected by his teammates and classmates and one who leads by example. He was slated to play offense, defense and on special teams.

“He’s a great athlete, great student, team leader,” Ceasar said. “The kid is just a fighter and a real dedicated player.”

Said Alfonso: “He pushes the team to always do more. He’s the best we could ask for. I started (playing football) when I was a freshman and he helped me through it. That’s how we became close.”

Ceasar rushed to the hospital following the game and had to wait about 30 minutes before being allowed to join the Levine family. Ceasar is starting his sixth season at Spanish River and coached Owen, who was a four-year starter at quarterback and also a team captain.

“It’s family besides football,” Ceasar said. “Anything I can do for them I will. Anything they can do for me they will.”

Adam, and Miles’ mother, Jamie Levine, have been by Miles’ side since his surgery.

“There are no words that I can tell you what I am going through,” Adam said. “I haven’t slept. I haven’t left his side. Neither has his mother. We have been on both sides of his bed just praying that he opens his eyes and that he talks.”

The hope is Adam can return to school without losing so much time it jeopardizes his chances for getting into the University of Florida, where he is planning to study medicine.

“We have a couple of obstacles,” Adam said. “This semester was hopefully the hurdle to get into UF. This accident could cause him not to get into the school of his dreams that he has worked so hard for.”