Even as Vernon Bush steered a wheelchair from class to class as a Hallandale High School senior, his dream of a collegiate track career never wavered.

After a remarkable recovery from an automobile accident that left Bush with four broken ribs and a fractured vertebrae, Bush said Alabama State has all but assured him a roster spot as a walk-on this fall.

Bush, who was given the Leo Suarez/Walter Krietsch Courage Award at The Miami Herald's All-Broward Athletic Awards in May, is using his walk-on status as motivation to earn a full scholarship.

''If any of their incoming freshmen don't have the qualifying grades, the Alabama State coach said I would be the first person on their list,'' Bush said. ``I'm ready to prove myself. I think I will have more competition, especially on that next level.''

Bush was a touted sprinter and promising running back heading into his senior season. But colleges backed off after injuries sustained in the accident caused Bush to miss all but one football game.

Bush faced an uncertain future after his car skidded on a wet road, hydroplaned and slammed into a pole on the drive to school. Paramedics extracted Bush from the wreck, which left him with limited use of his legs for a month.

In February, doctors cleared Bush to resume training without weights as his body had not fully healed. Despite that disadvantage, Bush qualified for the Class 3A state finals in the 100 meters.

Bush resumed weight training in June and showed some of his familiar burst by finishing second in the 100 and third in the 200 at the Northwest Track and Field Classic in Miami.

Bush said the whole ordeal has given him a different perspective on track and life in general.

''In my 11th-grade year I just used to run,'' Bush said. ``After the car accident, it made me look at track a different way. Now I run to be better. Not just run to run.''

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