Landon Wilson is living proof, anything is possible if you believe in God

BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. — If you look at the roster, Landon Wilson is just another Haywood Tomcat, but that’s not who he is at all.

“Strong, courageous and funny,” are three words used to describe Wilson by his best friend, Brandon Evans.

He’s the heart and soul of Tomcat baseball.

“When he’s there, the whole atmosphere is good,” head coach Tyler Newman said.

On the mound as a Tomcat, Wilson is known for his power, striking out 70 batters.

“I would try to get people out with my fastball,” Wilson said.

But this season, he’s had to take a different approach.

“Now I got to work the corners and try to trick people into getting outs,” Wilson said.

And it’s working — he’s posted a 3-0 record while punching out 20 batters.

What separates Landon from most high school baseball players? He’s playing with just one arm.

“Well, I was running down my road Oct. 26, 2017, and a car came up behind me and hit me from the back,” Wilson said.

“It was scary. I didn’t know if he was still alive or if he was even OK,” Evans said.

“When you hear he got hit while jogging by a car, you think the worst,” Newman said.

His leg, gashed open. His arm, left barely attached to his body. Wilson was airlifted to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

“I knew immediately there was no way they were going to be able to reattach it,” Wilson said.

Doctors were forced to amputate Wilson’s left arm and put two rods in his right leg to hold it in place. Yet through it all, Wilson only thought about one thing.

“First thing he said is I’m going to be back out there playing before the year is over. I thought there was no way at the time,” Newman said.

Wilson would undergo eight surgeries, then rehab, up to 10 hours a week.

“You know, I had to go through a lot of trials and tribulations,” Wilson said.

Through it all, Wilson never doubted his return to the diamond.

“Nah, there was no doubt. I knew I’d be back,” Wilson said.

Just four and a half months after his near-death experience, Wilson was ready to make his return, even before the doctors gave their approval.

“Coach Newman was like, ‘Do you feel good?’ And I was like, heck yeah, I’m ready to go, and I ended up throwing, and it was one of the best days of my life,” Wilson said.

Newman said Wilson has helped everyone look at life just a little differently.

“He’s proved to everybody out here that you can do all things pretty much as long as you believe,” Newman said.

Wilson had an opportunity to go play baseball at the collegiate level but said he intends to go to Mississippi State where he plans to major in communications.