When 17-year-old Paul Ivey Jr. walked into an awards banquet at his high school on Wednesday, everyone was stunned.
In early February, Ivey was involved in a horrific car accident that left him comatose, WOWT reports.
Looking at the mangled remains of his car, it is a wonder that he woke up at all.
"I've seen the pictures and I don't know how I survived it," Ivey, who attends Millard South High School in Omaha, Neb., told KETV last week.
That's why the teenager's friends were shocked when he walked into his high school this week. It took him less than a month in physical therapy to walk and run again.
"This is a kid who has been going non-step since 7th grade -- 100mph," his father, Paul Sr., told WOWT, "He's not used to this. He'll bounce back. He'll bounce back quick."
A wrestler and football player, Ivey believes that he survived and has recovered so quickly from the crash because of his athletic background and physical condition, KETV reports.
"My body's ready for this, and my body's ready for this stress, and I believe that really saved my life," he said.
Ivey's wrestling coach Doug Denson agrees.
"He is probably the hardest worker in our room, so it doesn't surprise me when he has that kind of intestinal fortitude -- that kind of character," Denson said.
Still in physical therapy, Ivey admits that he has difficulty with words at times. He also said that one side of his body reacts slower than the other, KETV reports.
But if his progress so far is anything to go by, the 17-year-old will likely be back in school and on the field in no time.