Brock Mealer makes his way across the Michigan Stadium turf with his brother Elliott, right, to touch the M Go Blue banner prior to the Wolverine's season opener against the UConn Huskies Saturday.

Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com

He sat on the far sideline, gripping two canes he soon would be using.

His mom and two brothers stood next to him, watching a video explaining why Brock Mealer was going to lead the Michigan Wolverines onto the field for the first game of the 2010 football season.

As the video wound down, Mealer grasped the canes and pulled himself up.

The crowd, already in place and standing, erupted in a huge roar as he took his first step.

And while Mealer’s journey today took him across the field to the famous "Go Blue" banner, his journey began in December 2007 and has taken him a lot farther.

On Christmas Eve in 2007, Mealer was in a car crash that killed his dad and Hollis Richer, who also was riding in the car.

Brock Mealer was pinned inside the car and suffered a spinal cord injury.

Doctors told him he had a 1 percent chance of ever walking again.

In 2009, he began working with the Michigan football strength staff. His brother, Elliott, who also survived the accident, is a football player at the University of Michigan.

In the middle of spring football this year, head football coach Rich Rodriguez told Brock Mealer he was going to walk out and lead the team onto the field before the first game of the season.

Today, after the ribbon had been cut on the rededication of the stadium, it was time.

The crowd cheered his every step, growing in volume as he got closer to the banner. 

He reached up, touched the banner, and the crowd roared its approval.

David Jesse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2534.