A talented football player, Jameel Burns seemed destined to play football in college, then an injury to his ACL during a track meet sidelined him. Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine Center not only helped the starter play football his senior year, his doctor reconstructed his knee, and his therapist helped him rehabilitate it. Now he’s ready to put his knee to the test at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Rehabilitating his knee in the midst of a pandemic also gave Jameel time to think hard about his future, and though he loves football, he knows it’s not what he wants to do as a career.

“I’ve decided I want to become a commercial pilot and fly airplanes,” Jameel said. To realize his dream, Jameel applied for and was accepted at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. He’s even been taking private flying lessons to earn his pilot’s license.

And while he may try to play football at the academy, he’s more concerned with making sure his knee holds up well during strenuous basic training.

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