RIVERVIEW, Fla. — Nyla Gigger does a little bit of everything on the football field.

She plays wide receiver. She plays defensive back. But perhaps her greatest role is leader. The Sumner High senior captain sets an example on and off the field.

What You Need To Know

  • Nyla Gigger is a senior captain on the Sumner High flag football team

  • She has battled back from an ACL injury that cost her a year of playing time

  • To help her family pay for medical expenses, Nyla started a side gig as a hairstylist during her rehab

“Just the environment, basically,” she said. “Just being able to come out here and play, it’s just wonderful.”

Nyla has a greater appreciation for the sport she loves so much. That’s because she was sidelined for nearly a year. Just before the start of her sophomore season, Nyla tore her ACL. Months of rehab meant months of medical bills.

So to help her family out, Nyla started a side gig doing hair. She did all of this while also caring for her grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Just like she does on the field, Nyla found a way to lead.

“That patch was just a pathway to get back to what I like doing, but also learned new things about myself,” Nyla said.

Nyla didn’t know how much she needed football until she didn’t have it in her life. Now that it’s back, she’s giving it her all. Even these simple drills at practice mean the world to her. Because when something you love is taken from you, and you do everything you can to get it back, you appreciate it a little bit more.

“This is kind of like therapy to me,” she said. “Playing football, doing drills, it’s life. It’s a way of life. It’s a way of life.”