Daniel Boyette/Press-Register

Gulf Shores’ Toni DeVaney signed a soccer scholarship with Mount Olive (NC) College on Friday. The senior signed a little over a month after a head-on collision left her with multiple injuries.



Back on track

Toni DeVaney signs scholarship a month after injured in accident

By Daniel Boyette
Sports Reporter

GULF SHORES-Toni DeVaney still doesn’t recall much from the wreck. But she does remember being trapped in her car, talking to a rescue worker and worrying about whether she would get to keep her soccer scholarship.

The fear about her athletic future was not surprising. DeVaney had been named to the All-Baldwin team by county coaches multiple times, played in the Battle of the Bay match and competed in Europe with the United Soccer Academy. And, suddenly, everything was in limbo. She had broken both of her femurs, the tibia and fibula in her left leg, right ankle and left humorous.

But just a little more than a month after the accident, DeVaney is back on track.

Mount Olive (NC) College honored DeVaney’s Scholarship, and the Gulf Shores senior signed with the Division II School during a ceremony Friday afternoon at the GSHS library. The signing came a little more than a month after a Feb17 head-on collision in Orange Beach that occurred as DeVaney was driving to the Dolphins’ first match of the season.

Samara Santos, 20, of Pensacola was killed in the wreck. Gulf Shores police said Santos lost control of her vehicle, crossed into the incoming lane and slammed head-on into DeVaney’s Chevrolet Impala.

“It’s really overwhelming. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry,” DeVaney said of Friday’s signing ceremony. “But it meant a lot for all those people to show up. I didn’t expect that many people. I’m just glad I got my Scholarship.”

DeVaney, 17 isn’t taking the scholarship as a token gift from Mount Olive; she still plans on playing for the Trojans.

“I’m red shirting my freshman year and the coach (Matt Heistler) wants me to go to physical therapy and do personal training to get my muscles back,” she said. “I’m a small person, so he wants me to get 20 extra muscle pounds. That’s like 40 because of what I lost (after the accident). Freshman year will basically be muscle building, getting tactical skills back, touches on the ball, little things.”

DeVaney is currently undergoing 90-minute physical therapy sessions three times a week and is a month ahead of schedule. Her left leg is healed and the cast on her right leg is scheduled to come off next week.

“(My physical therapist) said that’s going to be the toughest thing,” DeVaney said.

Gulf Shores coach Jason Thompson said that DeVaney's presence on the side-lines at games has helped motivate the Dolphins. “All this journey that we’ve been through, to see her walk in here today to sign that, it’s just unbelievable,” he added. “It’s made my entire year.”

Before the accident, DeVaney was considering studying to become a physical therapist or surgeon. But after spending “too much time in the hospital,” she has her sights set on physical therapy.

“I’ve learned a lot of things about it now,” she said with a laugh. “I’m pretty sure I’ll do great at it.”