Eric LeGrand: Rutgers pulled Grad Speech offer
NEW YORK -- Rutgers University asked Eric LeGrand to be its commencement speaker, then suddenly pulled the offer off the table.
That's the word from LeGrand, the former Scarlet Knights defensive tackle who was paralyzed during a game in 2010. He tweeted the news late Monday night:
Rutgers spokesman Greg Trevor said Tuesday that he would look into LeGrand's claims.
"I was just going to tell them my story, about the whole process," LeGrand told the
Asbury Park Press on Monday. "Starting in 2005, being recruited by Rutgers and what it meant to me to play here and go to school here. And then the way everybody supported me through my injury, I was just going to give inspirational words about how they should attack life.
"All the things I've learned so far. All the [graduates], they're my age so I was going to try to [say] words they could remember, words that would inspire them to do great things in life."
LeGrand told the newspaper he was "very upset" about Rutgers' decision.
"I was all excited all weekend thinking about what I was going to say. It's rough," he told the paper.
The original commencement speaker at Rutgers, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, pulled out of the appearance last week following student protests regarding her involvement with the Iraq war.
"Commencement should be a time of joyous celebration for the graduates and their families," Rice wrote on her Facebook page, announcing her decision. "Rutgers' invitation to me to speak has become a distraction for the university community at this very special time."
But a rescinded invitation to LeGrand likely will cause further uproar. The highly popular LeGrand has been an inspiration to many in his quest to walk again after suffering a severe spinal cord injury four years ago.
Former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean was officially announced as Rice's replacement Monday, hours before LeGrand took to Twitter.
Rutgers' commencement is May 18.
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