Haskell player severely hurt 3 years ago honored by team that saved his life

HASKELL, Okla. (KTUL) — Reuben Thomas was an up-and-coming football star in Haskell, but three years ago, he took a hit on the field.

"He actually played another play after that," said Kermit Thomas.

Kermit Thomas, Reuben's father, says he noticed something was wrong.

"He felt it coming. I noticed him taking his helmet off and walking off to the sideline," said Kermit.

Reuben had to be flown to the hospital where his life was saved, but he has been immobile and unable to speak since then. His mother says a cyst had burst in his brain, just one week after an MRI scan and a doctor had cleared him to play.

Friday night, we were there as his jersey was loaded into a helicopter at Haskell airport. The very same helicopter that took Reuben from the field was now, in a sense, bringing him back. It wasn't just the same helicopter, but also the same crew.

"They were actually the ones that flew Reuben, and they wanted to be a part of this as well to see this. We've been a part of this every year since this happened," said Mark Forrest, Program Director for the Air Evac Lifeteam in Muskogee.

If Reuben hadn't taken that hit, he would have been a senior this year, which means many people playing on the team tonight are the same team that was playing with him three years ago. Tonight, that helicopter brought part of him home.

"It's a very emotional, heart-touching moment, you know?" said Kermit.

Emotional for the family, the community, and cathartic to the team who helped save Reuben's life.

"Most of the time, what we see in this business is seeing people on their worst day. We don't get to talk to people when they're having a great day, so when we can do something like this for a family or a community, it's very special for us," said Forrest.

And it means a lot to the family.

Reuben's mother, who cares for him now, says she hopes one day that Reuben will be able to tell us his story in his own words.