WASHINGTON (September 14, 2023) – Benjamin Hoseli does not remember anything from the night his life changed in March 2022.
 
All the Howard University senior goalkeeper knows is he regained consciousness inside the intensive care unit of MedStar Hospital to the constant sounds of beeping machines and hushed tones of the nurses talking with tubes sticking out of his arms and bandages affixed to his body.

"I went to the movies with teammates downtown," recalled Hoseli, a native of Bern, Switzerland. "On our way back to Howard, I was hit by a car while riding a rideshare bike. I have no memory of the accident itself. I know that the two teammates with me that night were standing by and caring for me. The next thing I remember was being in a hospital bed."
 
"I was treated in the ICU for three weeks. I needed surgeries for several skull fractures and a broken leg. A big thank you goes to my two teammates who stayed with me day and night until my parents arrived from Europe. I remember that the Howard men's soccer team sent me a video with personal messages and get well wishes."

The well-wishes lifted his spirits and gave Hoseli the additional resolve he needed to recover and return to the pitch.
 
Howard's head coach Phillip Gyau supported Hoseli during his arduous recovery, which made all the difference. 

"Coach Gyau assured me that he will give me all the time I need to recover," Hoseli said. "He gave me and my family all the support we needed during that difficult time. He and his coaching staff were a big factor in getting me back on track. It took me months to get back on my feet. I had to watch my head carefully, and the broken leg kept me on crutches for quite a while." 

A year later, Hoseli was back on the field for the Bison. It was a big deal when he played his first minutes against the Maryland Bobcats, making one save in Howard's 2023 spring season. It was a special moment and signified that all the hard work during recovery was worth it. 

"I wasn't sure if and when I would achieve this goal," Hoseli said. "Finally, I returned to the practice site. First with personal strength exercises, then with running units, and later with the ball, until I could finally get back into team training and take some shots. I got my first minutes in a real game a year after the accident. It felt amazing! I'm still wearing head protection for safety while on the field." 

The accident almost prevented Hoseli from beginning his internship at the Google office in New York City—his determination to get well allowed his dreams of being a software engineer to continue.
 
"The accident in March made it a close call to start the internship in time, but I made it," Hoseli said. "This summer, I was able to return to Google and did an internship at the YouTube office in the San Francisco Bay Area. Both internships were great experiences and helped me to gain valuable skills that will hopefully help me to become a full-time software engineer." 

"In New York and San Francisco, I had the opportunity to meet other Howard students that did internships in the same city. It is great to see that students from Howard University get into competitive internship programs. Some of my teammates interned at companies like Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase and Lockheed Martin this summer."
 
It was the latest challenge conquered by Hoseli.
 
He had already overcome adversity by having to attend school remotely while in Switzerland during the COVID-19 pandemic in fall 2020. 

"My freshman year at Howard was odd," Hoseli said. "Studying abroad without leaving home. Living in Bern, Switzerland, I was forced to study from home due to travel restrictions during the pandemic. The soccer program was suspended, and I could not meet my teammates. A year later, I finally made it to D.C. and hit the ground running at Greene Stadium with my team. I found great friends and Howard University has felt like home ever since." 

Of course, Hoseli had no choice but to play soccer while growing up in Switzerland. Hoseli became a goalie by default when he was learning to play soccer, as his dad and brother would shoot plastic balls at him in the basement of their home. 

"My dad took me to the stadium to watch the local soccer team when I was about four," Hoseli said. "I loved the atmosphere and wanted to try it myself. Soon after, I joined my first team and have played in soccer organizations since then. I later joined the club academy, where I saw my first game in a stadium. This is where I ultimately grew as a soccer player to play for Howard University."
 
Hoseli has also made a significant impact off the soccer field for Howard. 

He is always supporting his fellow student-athletes at their games, no matter the sport. Hoseli enjoys the roaring atmosphere of Burr Gymnasium during basketball games. Yet, his most significant accomplishment is being the two-time Howard Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. It is an honor he takes immense pride in.
 
"Having the great opportunity to study at Howard University makes me put quite a lot of effort into my academic education," Hoseli said. "But of course, I never expected to be Howard Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Coach Gyau and his staff always ensure that our team stays on top of our grades by providing tutors, if needed. Last semester, we were able to achieve a 3.5 average team grade point average."
 
Hoseli is excited about the Bison's upcoming season, but Howard's first eight matches are on the road before it plays its home opener Sunday, October 8, against Stonehill College.
 
"Our team is a fantastic group with a great team spirit," Hoesli expressed. "We got some new additions to the team, and there's a lot of talent here. I am convinced the coaching staff will help us to grow as a team. We will play big teams in the first half of the season that will prepare us for our conference games in the second half."
 
The most significant victory for Hoseli and Howard is that he is alive and able to continue to pursue his dreams once he earns his degree. So, the long road trip to start the season is irrelevant. 

He is just happy that he has an opportunity to keep playing and representing Howard.
 
"I feel fully recovered and ready to compete," Hoseli said. "After all that, I feel blessed to be back and take on my senior season with the team. In my senior year, I will also contribute to the team effort by showing leadership and the will to improve in every practice, every day."
 
"I want to thank Coach Gyau and his coaching staff, the athletic training staff, all my professors and every member of the Howard University staff who has been helping me with any issues I faced during the last years. Special thanks go to my teammates. It's great to be around them."

Rob Knox is an award-winning professional. A member of the Lincoln (Pa.) Athletics Hall of Fame, Knox currently serves as the Senior Director of Strategic Communications for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Knox enjoyed a distinguished career as an athletics communicator for Lincoln, Kutztown, Coppin State, Towson, and UNC Greensboro. He also worked at ESPN and for the Delaware County Daily Times. Recently, Knox was honored by College Sports Communicators (CSC) with the Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award and the NCAA with its Champion of Diversity award. Knox is a graduate of Lincoln University and a past president of the College Sports Information Directors Association of America (CoSIDA).
 

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.