Hoover community stands up for injured former Buc now at Harvard

HOOVER — It was like any other fall Saturday at the Moseley household, full of college football and family time, the usual measures for relaxation at the end of a long week.

That is until the texts began to flood Adam Moseley’s inbox.

The Hoover High School baseball coach received messages from a slew of players informing him that something, on a football field in a faraway state, had gone terribly wrong.

Christopher Cole confirmed the news. Cole’s son, Devin, and his best friend, Ben Abercrombie, played baseball for Moseley at Hoover. Both graduated in the spring after helping the Bucs secure the Class 7A title, Moseley’s first as head coach.

Now, less than four months later, it appeared uncertain whether one would ever regain his ability to walk. Moseley’s heart sank upon hearing that Abercrombie, a two-sport standout at Hoover and a freshman on the Harvard football team, had suffered a severe neck injury in the Crimson’s game against Rhode Island.

“I was just broken down at that point, very shocked for him,” Moseley said on Thursday, nearly a week after learning the news. “But that very quickly turned into, ‘How are we going to beat it?’”

He was not the only one who began to ask that question. In the aftermath of Abercrombie’s injury, the Hoover community has channeled heartbreak into action. It has sought ways to lift up, both spiritually and financially, a deeply-rooted family as it navigates what is, at best, a rocky path.

Monday’s Stand UP for Ben event is the latest example of that proactiveness. 

Across Hoover and surrounding communities, more than 40 restaurants -- and 50 total businesses -- have volunteered to donate 10 percent of their Sept. 25 proceeds to the Ben Abercrombie Fund, which has been established to help the Abercrombies offset their wave of unexpected expenses.

“Until he can stand up, we want to stand up for him,” said David Bannister, who is helping coordinate the event.

According to Moseley, Abercrombie remains in stable condition at a Rhode Island hospital, where the hope is that he will be able to breathe without assistance in the next few days. Moseley said Abercrombie is still paralyzed, but that is not atypical considering the nature of the injury. The projected recovery timeline is six to nine months.

Back in Hoover, Bannister said that nearly every business he’s asked has agreed to participate in the Stand UP event. He called the community’s collective embrace of the idea — along with the widespread attention the event has garnered on social media —  “unlike anything” he’s seen in the two decades he’s served on the Hoover Touchdown Club board.

“I think it’s more indicative of what the Hoover community is all about, and that is [being] doers,” Bannister said. “They dig deep, and they find ways to be champions in everything they do.”  

The idea for a citywide “spirit night” was first pitched to Bannister and Hoover High Athletic Director Andy Urban by Abercrombie’s former football coach at Simmons Middle School, Brent Brizendine.

Like Moseley, Brizendine caught word of Abercrombie’s injury on Saturday from a former player. He said the news consumed him, and he wanted to find a way to help. Even in eighth grade, Abercrombie had been a model player who left a lasting impact on both Brizendine and the Simmons program. 

“He’s the kid we tell our kids about," the coach said. 

So on Tuesday Brizendine decided to propose the idea of a spirit night to Bannister and Urban. Within two hours, a spirit night turned into a citywide spirit day, with 20 businesses already on board, Brizendine said.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “It makes me proud to be a Hoover Buc.”

Below is a list of restaurants and businesses that have already volunteered to participate in the Stand UP for Ben event. For more information, contact Bannister at 205-936-4783. 

But the Stand UP for Ben event is only one way people can contribute to the Ben Abercombie Fund. Donations also can be mailed to Christ the King Lutheran Church (c/o Ben Abercrombie Fund - 611 Riverchase Parkway West, Hoover, 35244)  or made online at ctkbham.com. 

According to Moseley, Regions Bank is expected to be able to accept donations on the Abercrombies' behalf in the coming days.

Urban said there will be a donation area at tonight's homecoming game against Tuscaloosa County. Urban also added there will be a moment of silence held before kickoff to honor Abercrombie. 

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, the Hoover Athletics Association will be donating all gate fees and concession proceeds at the night's youth football games to the fund. According to a Facebook post on the Hoover Bucs Football page, HAA board member Mike Plaia has vowed to match the amount up to $3,000. 

"We have a great community here, and we have a lot of people who have a servant’s heart and are willing to do as much as they can for anyone," Urban said. "It’s neat to see it on display.”

The athletic teams at Harvard University also are rallying behind Abercrombie and put together a YouTube video to show support: