Sheridan football player recovering from injury and will be home for Christmas

A Wyoming high school football player who was left with a severe brain injury after a game this Fall has been in the hospital for more than three months.

And while he still has a long road to recovery, there is a glimmer of good news as he is expected to be home for Christmas.

In September, a Sheridan High School football player suffered a life threatening injury from a helmet to helmet contact while playing linebacker during the JV football game.

He started showing the symptoms after the game in the locker room, and he was rushed to Children's Hospital in Aurora, Colorado near Denver.

Kyler Mines, his mother and his grandmother talked about his recovery.

Recently he received an uplifting surprise, a signed Denver Broncos Jersey.

"Officially, I'm official," Kyler said.

Will Sherman, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Justin Simmons and Demetry Jacobs visited Kyler in the hospital.

"They really did this for him," said Mary Dailey-Smith, Kyler's grandmother and a Bronco fan. "That's awesome. It was incredible."

The signed jersey is even more special since Kyler wears number 35 playing linebacker and running back on the Broncs JV football team.

But the game he loved took a devastating turn on September 5.

"Kyler came down here with a brain bleed," Chelsey Mines, Kyler's mother said. "He had a brain injury called a brain shear, which caused hemorrhaging in his brain. Right side damage and middle damage."

There recovery and rehabilitation remains long and challenging, and he will be returning to Aurora periodically for treatments.

But Chelsea says Kyler is already making huge steps forward

"Kyler's starting to walk up and down stairs with help," Chelsey said. "He can walk with a walker from the therapy room back to his room with help. He's in a wheelchair walks and stuff, long walks around the hospital. Wherever he wants to go, he's got to use a wheelchair.

"You work really hard," Chelsey said to her son. "Tell him you work really hard."

"I work really hard," Kyler said.

"It's absolutely been amazing to watch him just keep plugging away doing what he needs to do," Dailey-Smith said.

Kyler started eating solid food about two weeks ago is back to having the appetite of a teenage boy.

"Can you tell him what your first thing was?" Chelsey said to Kyler.

"Rice Krispee Treats," said Kyler.

"He's devouring the food," Chelsey said. "He's been eating his food plus my food. He ate Chinese last night. He's had Chik-Fil-A. He's had Texas Roadhouse. He's had lots of hot wings."

The plan is for Kyler to go back home to Sheridan next Wednesday.

"We want to thank everybody for all their support, their prayers, everything," said Dailey-Smith. "We wouldn't be where we're at today, if it weren't for the community. We came from Montana, Wyoming. Even Colorado."