Husker fan who survived crash, coma and cardiac arrest meets Matt Rhule

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Two years ago, Ray McManus was on life support after a car crash.

But this month, the lifelong Husker football fan got to meet the head coach.

On Aug. 16, 2021, Brian McManus received a call that would change his life forever.

His son Raymond ended up trapped in his car after landing upside down in the Elkhorn River.

“It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to get that phone call that your son was involved in a horrific accident,” Brian said.

Ray went into cardiac arrest as he was flown to Omaha after the crash.

After he was revived, he went in for open heart surgery, where he suffered cardiac arrest again.

Ray was in a coma after his surgery. Brian said he was even given last rites and later pronounced brain dead.

But he was able to beat all the odds, which his dad credits to the prayers of those following his story on the Facebook page Prayer for Ray.

After six weeks, he awoke from his coma and has since been rehabilitating.

“Over the course of the last two years, Ray hasn’t had a lot of happy days,” Brian said.

But Sept. 16 was an exception.

Ray attended Nebraska football’s game against Northern Illinois, where head coach Matt Rhule took a photo with him.

“Thanks to coach Rhule, the players, just everybody,” Brian said. “Everybody was a big part of the special day for Ray, and he had a grin on his face from the minute he got there until he left. And to see him happy, as a parent, was just a blessing.”

Ray expressed his excitement for meeting Rhule, calling it “divine intervention.”

Players and cheerleaders also took photos with him.

His father says Ray is doing well and is excited to cheer on the Huskers this season.

Brian created a Go Fund Me fundraiser to help pay for Ray’s outpatient physical therapy and associated costs of his care.