College Student Who Was Paralyzed Playing Football Walks Across Stage At Graduation And Hooooly Shit It's Dusty In Here

(I hope this video above of the whole thing works because it’s the best one)

DES MOINES — Sure, you had a good Memorial Day weekend. But Chris Norton’s was better.

Norton suffered a severe spinal cord injury in 2010 playing football for Luther College and, at the time, was given very little chance to ever walk again. But walk he did Sunday during Luther College’s graduation ceremony on the school’s Decorah campus.

With help from his fiancee, Norton stood from his wheelchair and walked across the stage to receive the diploma he earned months ago, bringing everyone else in attendance to their feet.

Once he finished classes at Luther last winter, Norton and Summers moved to Michigan where he’s been rehabbing for this exact moment. He promised a year ago in a Register story that he’d walk across the stage to collect his diploma.

“It was like my gameday,” Norton said, recalling Sunday’s graduation walk. “I was in the zone, focusing on what I needed to do and not worrying about anyone or anything else.

“I didn’t think it’d be so emotional. The energy in the room was really unbelievable, and it meant everything to have (Emily) there with me. It was the best weekend of my life. She’s the most incredible person I’ve ever met, and to share it with her, the woman I’m in love with, it couldn’t be any better.”

Norton and Summers will return to Michigan soon, where Norton will continue to rehab. He said a year ago that he could only take a few steps using a walker and couldn’t balance by himself for more than a few seconds. Now he’s measuring his distance by yards (up to 60 or so per session) and minutes (10 minutes standing on his own). (Remember, doctors initially gave him only about a 3% chance of ever moving below the neck again.)

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Just incredible. Hey wait a minute though, that’s it right? Just the walk? I can dry my eyes and slam a beer and look at some babes on the internet and comb the hair on my chest and go back to being a man who doesn’t cry?

They prepared together for the walk. The proposal, though, Norton had to plan without Summers finding out.

The couple’s favorite restaurant, Rubaiyat in Decorah, was the scene. Summers thought they were swinging by to pick up a graduation gift for Norton but quickly realized there was more to the stop.

Their song, All of Me by John Legend, was playing, and candles spelled out, “Will you marry me?” It couldn’t be a coincidence.

“I was in shock,” she said. “I looked into the room and thought, ‘Wow, this is so cool.’ It was just perfect in there. … It was really sweet, and he got a little choked up which I thought was cute.”

GOD DAMNIT. Chris Norton you magnificent bastard. Seriously I’m not easily inspired or impressed or made to feel feelings, but if this video doesn’t give you chills there’s nothing but a black hole where your heart is supposed to be. A college kid who was told he would never walk again standing up and making it across the stage with the help of his beautiful fiancee to the roar of a crowd giving him a standing ovation…it just doesn’t get any better than that.