Sure hands, sure heart
Sonya Pitts remembers Hewitt-Trussville High School's first game of the 2015 football season like it was yesterday.
A proud Husky mom, she sat in the stands as she watched her son, Logan, play "on point" in his first varsity start. The sophomore wide receiver caught everything directed his way, including the pass that resulted in a torn ACL and severed season.
Sonya Pitts suspected her son had sustained an injury when he failed to pop up after cradling the fateful catch. But she didn't understand the magnitude until she charged down to the field at the beckoning of a school administrator.
The first words out of the team doctor's mouth still resonate in her ears. "Hey, at least he has two more years," she recalls being told.
Sonya Pitts said her heart dropped. Not even her sure-handed son, glued to the ground, could keep it from falling.
"Injuries are tough," Huskies fourth-year head coach Josh Floyd said. "Kids aren't used to that, and you find out a lot about them."
In the aftermath of the painful setback, Logan’s true colors shone through. His character propelled him to his current juncture. On the precipice of the 2017 season, Logan, healthy and hungry, is set to enter his senior year as a marquee piece in Hewitt-Trussville's high-powered offense.
"It made me want to work hard, grind harder, do extra and really perform at top ability," he said. "The week I tore my ACL, I couldn't wait to get back out there."
The wideout inherited that tenacity from his father, Michael Pitts, whose death from cancer in the summer of 2015 marked the first of three grave trials encountered by Logan in a matter of months. The second challenge came in the form of a broken collarbone, sustained not long after his father's passing, that prevented him from competing in summer 7-on-7 tournaments. The ACL tear proved the third strike.
Logan’s faith, however, never wavered.
"I believe that everything in life happens for a reason, that God has a reason for everything,” he said. “That's something he instilled in me.”
The “he” Logan is referring to is Michael Pitts, who also worked to ensure that his son and daughter, Lauren, possessed the traits needed to persevere through any adversity. Sonya Pitts’ husband never took no for an answer and refused to settle for a bad day, she said. He wanted his kids to be the same. That's why, before bed each night, he made them read self-help books and recite positive poems. The lessons in literature endured the course of time.
“He’s just pushed hard and refused to have setbacks,” Sonya Pitts said of her son. “He just can’t help it.”
But progress didn’t come easy, especially at first. The day after Logan’s ACL surgery, during which doctors also repaired a torn meniscus, he experienced an immobilizing pain that threw a wrench in the plan to take him to physical therapy. Initially, his mom considered calling Hewitt-Trussville coaches for help in lifting him to her car.
But, after much urging and a few painkillers, Logan found the strength to rise on his own.
The symbolic step foreshadowed his road to recovery.
“It was a hard hurdle to jump, but my coaches helped me out a lot,” he said. “My physical therapists and teammates helped me get back in the swing of things.”
Logan, a brace on his right knee, returned to the field last fall for his junior year. Lining up primarily in the slot, he caught seven touchdowns and totaled more than 550 yards receiving.
He’s aiming for even higher goals this fall.
Since his team’s season ended in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs last November, Logan has added size and strength to his 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame. Floyd expects his renewed explosiveness to reveal itself against opposing defenses.
“What he’s done this year is he’s put on 20 pounds, and he's bigger, faster, stronger,” said Floyd, adding that the knee brace has been shed. “The further you get away from an injury, the more confident you are.”
Summer 7-on-7 tournaments provided glimpses into Logan’s potential. Routinely, he shook off defensive backs and reeled in impressive receptions, appearing in tune with junior quarterback Paul Tyson. College coaches have taken notice of Logan’s promise.
In July, he announced his commitment to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
"It is a perfect for him," Sonya Pitts said. "When we visited, they seemed genuinely excited to have him."
Sonya Pitts is familiar with the feeling. She's looking forward to assuming her position in the bleachers for Logan’s final prep season, and plans to take Fridays off work to prepare for his games. She’ll attend them in customized T-shirts that have Pitts, No. 3 printed across the back. On the front of one reads the phrase, “My heart is on that field.”
Logan will do his best not to let it drop.