Skip to Content

Former SC baseball star details overcoming injuries through MLS Laser technology

<i>WYFF via CNN Newsource</i><br/>Former SC baseball star
Lawrence, Nakia
WYFF via CNN Newsource
Former SC baseball star

By Rashad Williams

Click here for updates on this story

    GREENVILLE, South Carolina (WYFF) — Grant Cox of Greenville is no stranger to success. The former Greenville High School baseball player was a standout infielder on the diamond.

Cox was nationally ranked in the top 100 at the end of his senior season in 2015. He was also Greenville High’s first All-American and was called in the seventh and eleventh rounds to play professional baseball.

“At the time I was wanting to make a push towards professional baseball,” Cox said.

Cox chose to defer and play baseball at his dream school, Clemson University.

However, during his time there he battled a torn labrum. Following surgery and a period of recovery time, Cox was back on the field. Not long after, he faced another setback through injury.

“I thought I was going to play until I was 45 but that’s not the case,” Cox said. “I had a 9-ounce mass taken out of my right leg and that’s when a whole new wave of complications started. That, to chronic compartment syndrome, to having my hip repaired.”

Cox said he was eventually medically disqualified by the NCAA on February 14, 2018, due to the nature of his injuries.

“It was super unknown what the future looked like for me as far as that injury,” Cox said.

Cox said his identity was rooted in baseball and soon found himself living without that identity. He dealt with years of surgeries and recovery efforts, but the injuries soon became more than the physical. Cox said the same day he found out he was being medically disqualified is the same day he also got a call about his cousin Luke. Luke was killed in the “Parkland Shooting” at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

“I used to think baseball and doing well in baseball was the most important thing in the world,” Cox said. “But then my cousin was just killed in a high school shooting, and I was just with him for Christmas. That changed my perspective.”

Cox then shifted his focus to rehabbing his body and spreading awareness about the possibilities of life after sports and the importance of having a relationship with God. Cox said his trials and tribulations helped renew his faith.

In the summer of 2023, Cox said at the age of 26 he was set to have a potentially life-changing procedure, as a result of his injuries over the years from baseball.

“I was slated for total hip replacement in June or July of 2023, and that was really when I utilized the laser for my healing,” Cox said.

He discovered the MLS Laser, a medical treatment that received FDA approval last year which serves as an alternative to injections, surgeries, opioids and other invasive treatments.

“I’ve had so many surgeries, you kind of feel like that’s in a way the only option.” Cox said. “Basically, what the laser does is it goes after those damaged cells. It heals those damaged cells around your injured area and that’s what enables you to heal probably and recover properly. Going from having to have a hip replacement in July to now, I’ve gotten so much better.”

Cox said he is a testament to how former athletes who dealt with injuries can refocus their lives and find ways to recover both physically and spiritually.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - Regional

Jump to comments ↓

CNN Newsource

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

ABC 17 News is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content