ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — For Frederick Douglass High School senior Travis Isaacs, Friday night’s game is about more than football.

The Frederick Douglass football team will host Pace Academy on senior night at Lakewood Stadium in southeast Atlanta, with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Among the seniors taking the field will be Isaacs, a safety who returned to the sport after surviving a crash that killed both of his brothers and left him in a coma.

Isaacs was a freshman when the January 2024 accident occurred.

“The car hydroplaned, went through trees and one of the trees split the car in half,” Isaacs said.

His brothers, Cameron and Gabriel, were killed in the crash. Isaacs was left in a coma and faced an uncertain recovery.

“It’s like nightmares nonstop every day, every second until you wake up,” he said.

Doctors were unsure how much he would recover.

“They didn’t know if I was gonna be able to talk, walk. They don’t know if my brain was gonna be able to work,” Isaacs said.

He said doctors later told him he would likely never play football again.

“It broke my heart,” he said.

Instead, Isaacs began working through physical therapy before returning to training.

Frederick Douglass coach Stanley Pritchett said the determination Isaacs showed during his recovery stood out.

“He kept coming to the weight room and the practices,” Pritchett said.

Once Isaacs was medically cleared his junior year, he returned to the field.

“He can make the calls. He’s physical and not afraid of contact. He does everything that tough safeties do,” Pritchett said.

Now a senior, Isaacs said he has fully recovered. He carries a 3.67 GPA and wears the number 9 in honor of his brothers, who died on Jan. 9.

“I’m grateful every day for me being able to play the game of football,” he said.

Pritchett said Isaacs’ story is an example of resilience.

“It’s a tragic situation, but it’s also a story of coming back, perseverance,” he said.

As he prepares for his senior night game, Isaacs said his brothers remain a source of motivation.

“I know they’re up above looking down on me every day and making sure that I’m safe,” he said.

Pritchett said colleges have been talking with Isaacs about the possibility of playing football at the next level.

Frederick Douglass will face Pace Academy on Friday, Oct. 23 at 5:30 p.m. at Lakewood Stadium in southeast Atlanta.