His foot was at a 90-degree angle it wasn’t supposed to point. That’s the brutal truth of what happened to Arizona State guard Vijay Wallace during an exhibition game against Texas A&M back on October 26, 2025. It was one of those graphic injuries that if it had been televised, the replay would have been shown only once. Straight up gnarly.
“There Goes the Season”: The Shocking Moment Wallace Knew
Wallace had gone up for a dunk at the Fort Bend Epicenter and was met at the rim. He landed awkwardly, and that was it. He knew immediately. “I knew right away, there goes the season,” Wallace said later, reflecting on his first season in Tempe being over before it even officially started. A broken left fibula. Imagine that gut punch, dude. Bryce Ford was there to help him up, but Wallace couldn’t even move. Watching the entire season from the sidelines? That’s got to be super tough, and honestly, it makes you appreciate the grind even more. Luckily, Houston was playing next, and their team physician was on it, resetting the bone right there on the court. That quick action probably saved him from an even nastier injury and a longer recovery.
The Long Road Back And The Unbreakable Spirit
He had surgery three days after getting back to Tempe, and get this: Wallace said he was in shock and didn’t feel much pain right away. “It almost felt like I just rolled my ankle,” he recalled. “I just saw my ankle and then just put my head back and closed my eyes. I didn’t really want to look at it anymore. I felt like if I kept looking at it, then it was going to hurt. The pain was way worse after the surgery.” John Anderson, the Sun Devils’ trainer for 14 seasons, called it one of the worst injuries he’d ever seen. But Anderson was blown away by Wallace’s calm, cool demeanor. “He didn’t cry, wasn’t screaming. He was calm, cool, and collected,” Anderson said. “I told him, ‘No one can ever say that about you.’” His parents, Lionel and Donyale, along with his sister Danayanti, dropped everything to help him through those early weeks living alone. He was on crutches for almost two months, then a walking boot, then a scooter. But Wallace, now 21, didn’t let it stop him. He kept close to the team, hitting home games, and even using his scooter to get to Weatherup Center to get shots up. Dude even improved his mid-range game during recovery. Talk about dedication.
Wallace has traveled with the Sun Devils for road games once he could move around on his own. He’s been through it all, and now, with the new season on the horizon, he’s pumped. “I’m more than ready to get out there and get it going now,” Wallace said. After everything, you know he’s going to come back swinging. You just gotta watch this guy because that kind of comeback story? That’s what it’s all about.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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