Fletcher Cleaves Jr. returned home to Cordova Friday after undergoing intensive therapy at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for the past several weeks.

The Lambuth football player was welcomed by family and friends.

Cleaves and teammate Dayne Mullns were in a car crash in September in Jackson. The crash left Cleaves, a freshman receiver, essentially paralyzed from the chest down.

Dayne suffered less-seroius injuries and is back in school at Lambuth.

Shouts and cheers  of joy filled  the Cleaves household as Fletcher arrived. According to family members he was bright-eyed and smiling as he entered his home for the first time in four months.

According to Fletcher's mother, LaSandra Cleaves, his stay at home will be brief as he will return to Atlanta after the holidays for six more weeks of treatment.

His father is grateful for his return and said his son" still has a long way to go but he is making progress."

"He has exceeded what they expected, " La Sandra Cleaves said of his caretakers at the Shepherd Center.

Cleaves thanked the crowd of love ones and supporters, ' It means a lot to know my family and friends have got my back."