'Football officiating is family,' injured Maryland state trooper speaks at Blue Ridge Football Officials Clinic

roanoke, virginia – In a remarkable display of resilience, Maryland police officer and football official Patrick Koepp took center stage at the Blue Ridge Football Officials Clinic here in Roanoke.

“I think I'll be back on the field this fall,” Koep said.

It's been less than a year since Patrick Koepp, a former Maryland police officer, was intentionally hit by a car while trying to use a restraining stick to arrest a suspect. But his heart has returned to what he loves and he is determined to serve his community and soccer referees.

On Saturday, Koepp headed to Star City as a speaker for the Blue Ridge Football Official Clinic.

“They just wanted me to talk and tell my story and whatever stories I wanted to tell, so the purpose of speaking here today was to really talk about family, football family,” Koep said. said.

Koep said his family supported him before and especially after the accident.

What started as a regular shift in October turned into a nightmare that sent Koepp to the hospital and required both of his legs to be amputated. And through it all, his soccer family was by his side.

“Football referees are family, people who sacrifice a lot in their normal lives to referee away from their families, and walk through life with them. They were the ones I needed the most during the crash and after. At the right time. Friends flew in from all over,” Koep said.

Roanoke city leaders, including Mayor Sherman Lee, Sheriff Antonio Hash, and Police Chief Scott Booth, were in attendance to award Sergeant Kepp with the city's star. Koepp's desire to be on the field by next season is encouraging to those in the football world.

“Early on I said I'm going to go back to work, but most importantly, I'm going to go back to football, and if I go back to football, you might not like it very much. , I said, “I'm not at work.'' ”

As Sargent Koepp returns to Maryland, his tenacity about his goals after the fall left a mark not only on the football community but also on the city of Roanoke.