Michigan Wolverines draft boy with spina bifida as honorary recruit

(WJBK) - One brave 15-year-old boy in-and-out of the hospital for multiple illnesses had his dream come true after being drafted to his favorite football team -- the Michigan Wolverines.

The Michigan Wolverines are in mid-season form, but they just got a lot stronger thanks to their newest recruit.

Larry Prout Jr. may be small but he is as tough as they come.

He's a lifelong wolverine, spending most of his days at the U of M CS Mott children's hospital.

"When I was born, most of my major organs were on the outside of my body. I wasn't given much of a chance to survive birth, let alone life," Larry said.

And that will to live is why Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh wants him on the team.

"Larry's faced over 90 surgeries. Probably set a record, a Michigan record at least. Maybe a world record, maybe a national record," Harbaugh said.

The amount of ailments Larry has faced is endless.

His mother said when she was 20 weeks pregnant, they found out that Larry had spina bifida, along with many, many other illnesses and disorders.

"It's kind of like Humpty Dumpty -- from day one they've been putting him back together," she said.

This is a day Larry doesn't have to think about surgeries.

Thanks to a program by Team Impact, he gets to focus on one thing -- and that's being a star on the U of M football team, surrounded by his teammates, coaches and a throng of media wanting to learn all about the new recruit.

"As I am signing and committing to the University of Michigan Wolverine football team, today I am thankful for this opportunity and will work hard to represent its history, integrity and dedication to excellence," Larry pledged.

"Larry's a great guy and he has a great family and we're real happy today. Our team just got bigger," Harbaugh said.