Wide receiver Brandon Wimberly’s career was over — at least that’s what the doctors were saying.
After being shot in the stomach after a fight in downtown Reno in June 2011, Wimberly was given little chance to play football again. The bullet had come an inch from ending his life. He spent 10 days in the intensive care unit, nearly a month in the hospital and had multiple surgeries that left a grotesque scar along his abdomen.
But nine months after the near-tragic incident, Wimberly was back on the field for spring practice. And the 2009 WAC Freshman of the Year looked as good as ever.
“He looks great,” teammate Aaron Bradley said. “It’s like he never left. He came back strong.”
That’s a good thing for Nevada, which is thin at wide receiver. Outside of Wimberly and Bradley, the Wolf Pack’s other receivers have combined for only one college reception. Nevada lost four senior receivers after the 2011 season who accounted for 70 percent of the team’s receptions and 75 percent of the receiving yards.
The addition of Wimberly, who missed the entire 2011 season, will do more than simply bolster the receiving corps.
“We missed his leadership last season,” wide receivers coach Scott Baumgartner said. “He’s got the experience. His attitude, his personality, his work ethic are outstanding. We definitely missed him as a group last year. The other kids feed off him. It’s really nice to have him back.”
The 6-3 Wimberly lost about 25 pounds after the accident, but is back up to 210. The burly slot man still doesn’t mind taking big hits over the middle and doling out some hits, as well. He’s also the best run-blocking receiver on the team, which is big, given Nevada’s run-first Pistol scheme.
In his first two seasons at Nevada, Wimberly caught 94 passes for 1,125 yards and six touchdowns. He’ll be a main target for sophomore quarterback Cody Fajardo as the Wolf Pack adds a few wrinkles into the pass game under first-year offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich, who comes from Hawaii.
“It means a lot to have him back,” Bradley said. “He produced a lot when he was a freshman and sophomore. He’ll take a lot of weight off the other guys and will take the defense’s eyes off us. It will definitely help us a lot because he’s a good ball player.”