According to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, since 2009, the college graduate has been wheelchair-bound after he tackled a football player during a routine exercise that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

“He's a young man (who) I think is going to get a lot better, but it's just going to take months and months down the line," Borner’s football coach Claude Mathis told the NBC affiliate station.

Over the years, Borner remained positive and even became a motivational speaker.

People reported that although it wasn’t clear if he would ever walk again, the college graduate wanted to make sure that he uplifted those who felt hopeless.

"We all go through something. That's one thing about life. But as long as you continue to stay focused and stay positive, anything is possible," he said.

In June, Borner took his first steps in 12 years. Medical staff at the Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation witnessed a miracle when he showed them his ability to walk with assistance from the facility’s exoskeleton suit, which is the same one he used to receive his degree.

His mother, Charlotte Borner, told
NBC News that this was “a dream come true.”

"Whether he was able to even do this or not, you know, I know he's going to do something that is positive. He's going to motivate people. He's here for a reason. God kept him here for a reason,” she said.

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