Daniel Hand student-athlete Nick Anderson was one of two recipients of the 2017 Southern Connecticut Conference Comeback Player of the Year Award, along with Colleen Rice from Jonathan Law High School. Anderson and Rice both suffered severe injuries, but overcame them to become outstanding role models at their respective schools.

A corporate sponsor of the SCC, Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists P.C. offers a Comeback Player of the Year scholarship for student-athletes who participated in an interscholastic sport during the 2016-’17 academic year and showed great leadership both on and off the field following their injury. Coaches and athletic directors nominated these student-athletes after they each suffered an unfortunate injury that prohibited them from playing for their high school teams. Both will receive a financial scholarship for their college education.

Anderson has undergone four surgeries since the 8th grade, with two on his shoulder, plus one each on his groin and right hip. Each time, Anderson worked hard in his rehabilitation to get back on the playing field for the Tigers’ football squad. In his senior season in the fall of 2016, Anderson was healthy and played all 10 games for Hand, proving a key contributor to the Tigers’ offensive and defensive units.

“Nick has a heart of a tiger. Not only did he come back stronger, he became mentally tough and even more committed to being the best football player he could be,” said recently retired Hand football coach Steve Filippone. “Nick became an inspiration for the other boys on the team who had suffered injuries or difficult circumstances.”

Anderson will attend the University of Connecticut in the fall with plans to major in finance.