Ever since Luke Keller was a little boy, football was a way of life. By the time he entered high school, the 6'2, 220-pound athlete from Lucasville, Ohio was on his way to major NFL success.
In 2013, Luke began to face a string of injuries that changed everything. He needed three surgeries to repair a broken ankle and three more for a broken wrist. One of the procedures caused an infection that turned into a severe case of sepsis — a life-threatening infection that spread throughout his body and nearly ravaged his internal organs.
Doctors told Luke he had about a 40 percent chance of survival. Even if he did live, it was unlikely he'd ever play football again. The senior linebacker fell into a deep depression as he watched his teammates prepare to play the football season without him.
Before senior year began, Luke officially told his parents he was giving up on football completely. At this point, he was even considering suicide.
Then one day, Luke went outside to mow the grass for his mom. "At this time I was not a believer, but I said 'God, if you are real, say something to me, let me know something.'"
More from LittleThings: Bodycam Footage Shows Cop Collapsing From Fentanyl Exposure, But Some Are Skeptical
He thought he heard something, but couldn't be sure. He asked a second time — and this time he was sure about it.
"I dropped down to my knees, and in the middle of my yard I was bawling my eyes out."
