Picture shows paralyzed player standing

Published Jul. 13, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Rutgers defensive lineman Eric LeGrand Wednesday tweeted photos of himself standing up for the first time since suffering a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed nine months ago.

With his mother at his side, LeGrand tweeted a picture of himself standing with assistance, telling his 7,000-plus followers, "Standing up little by little in therapy."

The 20-year-old then tweeted a second photo, declaring, "Standing tall, we can't fall. Standing upright again."

LeGrand, who remains a student at Rutgers, left the hospital in late March to return to his Jackson, N.J., home to continue his rehabilitation.

LeGrand was initially paralyzed from the neck down in a collision on a kickoff Oct. 16, 2010 against Army, fracturing his C3 and C4 vertebrae.

He has continued to make steady progress, regaining sensation in his chest, biceps and fingertips. Last week he tweeted that he was moving his arms "little by little."