Brandon Nevens thought he was going to die.
The junior guard was running as part of the 49er men’s basketball offseason workouts in September, but after Nevens completed the last lap, he collapsed on the track at Jack Rose Stadium. Nevens, a transfer from Cal State Bakersfield, wanted to impress head coach Dan Monson.
“I just wanted to do so good … the first impression is the only thing you have sometimes. I [couldn’t] wait to run, I was just so excited,” Nevens said.
After being taken to the hospital, it was discovered that Nevens had kidney failure, which also affected two of the most important tools that he needed to play basketball — his legs. Emergency surgery was needed to relieve the swelling that had taken place in his lower limbs. Amazingly, Nevens remembers every moment of the life-changing event.
“I was pumping my arms, but I wasn’t going anywhere. And when you run you [need] the mental ability where you can just fight through it,” Nevens said. “I didn’t want to just stop because the players and coaches were cheering me on. When I hit the last corner, I ran off of the track and ran back on … I did that twice and I was dizzy. That’s when I knew that something was wrong.”
The illness, which can sometimes be caused by strenuous exercise, came as a complete shock to the 6-foot-3 Nevens, who has never had a history of health problems. Nevens thought he was doing everything to keep his body in top shape, but nothing could prepare him for what he was going through.
“I really thought I was going to die. I was in the hot sun just sitting there … and as they were giving me fluids, I was telling them to get me in training room because I [was] really in pain,” he recalled. “It felt like I was just dead and I didn’t have anymore strength in me. I just sat there and prayed. I asked God to help me out and get me through this because I still want to be able play ball and just live.”
Monson originally had no idea that Nevens’ injury was as dire as it turned out to be.
“Initially when he went down, there wasn’t a lot of concern because it’s the first day of conditioning and a lot of guys aren’t in shape … it was warm out,” Monson said. “But as the time grew, obviously your concern grew into a situation where it was very, very serious.”
The road to recovery has been tough for Nevens after enduring a surgery that reduced the energetic athlete to a bed for three weeks. As an independent person, Nevens had his struggles with being confined to his house.
“It was the longest three weeks. There would be times my mom would have to go to work and I would be home alone,” Nevens said. “I had to manage to do things on my own … if it had to be crawl or use a wheelchair to get where I had to go. When I had to go downstairs, I had to scoot down and use my arms. I was a little hard-headed at times and tried to do things with my legs. But it would start hurting and kick me in the butt.”
Through the help of rehab, Nevens is just now starting to get some of his strength back and is hoping to start working on his legs next.
After everything Nevens has been through, he is still a student-athlete and also had school to worry about. With the help of his adviser, Nevens was able to do his homework and learn the material through e-mails with his instructors. The business finance major was happy when he was finally able to get back to school and get a “B” on his first midterm.
Even though Nevens has been through a traumatic event, he remains surprisingly upbeat and positive. And his teammates feel the positive vibe brought to the team by Nevens, who has no timetable set for a return.
“[It’s great to] see his dedication everyday in practice, when he’s there every single day on time, and he has not even put on a game or practice jersey yet,” teammate Donovan Morris said.
While it pains Nevens that he can’t be out on the court, he will continue to be the first man off the bench to high-five his teammates.
I met Brandon at a game. He is a great guy and very friendly. I wish him well.