Anytime Perris Jones gets to the top of a flight of stairs, he utters a simple prayer.

“God, thank you.”

Brushing his teeth, eating and going to the bathroom by himself evoke a sense of gratitude that most wouldn’t think twice about. Two years ago, Jones didn't, either. But after the former Virginia football running back suffered a spinal cord injury that left him temporarily paralyzed from the neck down while playing Louisville in 2023, his appreciation for the little things increased.

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