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Corona del Mar quarterback Brady Annett overcame his share of obstacles to sign with Eastern Washington on Wednesday.
He encountered an injury hurdle before his senior season and a scary medical ordeal during the past two weeks.
But through it all, Annett persevered. He will soon join his brother Kaleb Annett, a quarterback at Central Florida, in the collegiate ranks.
“It’s definitely been super wild,” Brady Annett said of his recruiting journey. “It could have been easy to give up, that is for sure. I just got to have faith. I’m super excited for Eastern.”
Annett’s latest trial arrived on his recruiting trip to FCS Eastern Washington on Jan. 26. While at his hotel, an intense pain woke Annett around 5 a.m. and sent him to the hospital.
A stomach ulcer seemed to be the culprit and he headed home to Orange County.
Annett’s health challenges, however, were far from over.
He woke in pain again in the early hours of Jan. 28 and rushed to the Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach.
This time, he underwent surgery for a ruptured appendix.
Annett spent three days in the hospital and missed playing in the Orange County all-star football game on Jan. 31.
“I wish I could’ve played in a game,” he said. “It would have been a lot of fun but super glad that the South won.”
Annett knows all about recovery.
After his junior season, he underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder.
He responded as a senior by completing 65 percent of his passes for 2,532 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Annett (6-2, 190) earned second-team All-County honors and received recruiting interest from Eastern Washington, San Diego State and Rhode Island among others.
Annett said one of the reasons he picked Eastern Washington was the support he received from offensive coordinator Marc Anderson when he wasn’t feeling well.
“(Brady) knows how to overcome adversity,” Corona del Mar coach Kevin Hettig said. “He puts his head down and works. He’s obviously had some tough breaks but approaches those spots with so much maturity and clarity and keeps focused on the goal at hand.”
“Eastern Washington is getting a heck of a player in Brady and an even better young man.”