McLean Co. quarterback back on the field after near death experience

McLean. Co. Ky. (WEHT) - "I woke up that day and it was just normal."

August 8th, 2025, was like any other day for Nate Englehardt. The morning started with family, followed by football, and hanging with friends at night. But just before midnight, Nate's life would change in an instant.

"I smacked my head pretty hard. We hit an embankment on the side of the road and the four-wheeler flipped." Nate Englehardt recalled.

After the ATV flipped, friends and first responders rushed into lifesaving action. That night Nate would be life flighted to Vanderbilt Medical Center with severe injuries.

Lots of panic ensued after the incident, especially for Nate's parents who arrived on scene after he had been transported.

"Nobody would really tell us, they just said it was a bad accident, so we really didn't know, we were just hysterical about the whole thing at first." said Nate's father Robert Englehardt.

A broken collarbone and skin lacerations would become the least of Nate's worries as he slipped into a coma and suffered multiple brain bleeds, including a large bleed on his frontal lobe.

"We didn't know if he was going to wake up." said Robert Englehardt.

Nate would eventually regain consciousness just four days after the crash, a great sign, but one that didn't come with any promise.

"We didn't know if he was going to make it or not, if he would be able to walk, talk, or if he would just lay there the rest of his life." said Robert Englehardt.

Robert says those nights with his wife Sara in the ICU felt like months, some of the loneliest they had been through, but little did they know their family wasn't alone at all."

Teammates, classmates, and tons of community members across McLean Co. sending messages of encouragement and love - followed by dozens of fundraisers created to help Nate in his fight.

"When we had down time and looked, we were just amazed at the support we had." said Robert Englehardt.

Day by day, week by week, Nate began showing improvement at a rapid pace. Just a week after the incident, he was discharged from Vanderbilt's trauma unit and transported to a Louisville hospital where he continued his recovery. But a month-long recovery timetable there, turned into Nate being back home just a week later.

"It was such a relief to see him out and moving and talking and being Nate, that gave us a jolt of energy and inspiration, it was just great to have him home." said McLean Co. head coach Zach Wagner.

Nate being back home led him back to the sideline coaching, and coaching led him back to his true love…. The road back was still a long one. But Nate's "hardt" wouldn't be denied.

"The first time he threw a football he could barely throw it five yards, and as a parent you ask, is he ever going to throw the football? And I really feel the way he looked at it was, that was my first attempt, but I am going to fight to get to it." said Robert Englehardt.

Nate was cleared in July and now the senior is back with his football family for one last ride.

"Thankfulness, so much thankfulness for everybody and everything, that I am still here today and I get to play the sport I love." said Nate Englehardt.

"I don't know how else to put it then God has been beside him this whole time." said Robert Englehardt.