‘I Never Questioned God’s Plan’: How Christian Bodnar Battled Through a Brain Infection That Threatened His Football Future

STILLWATER — When Christian Bodnar watched a physical therapist move his right leg for him, he started to wonder if he’d ever play football again.

Now a safety at Oklahoma State, Bodnar woke up on a Monday morning in 2024 with what he described as “sharp migraines” and the right side of his body feeling heavy. Then at Liberty, Bodnar went in to the training room and was told he had stroke-like symptoms.

Next up was the ER, and he didn’t return home for a week.

“The physical therapist, they had to physically pick my leg up for me to take a step,” Bodnar said. “I didn’t wanna give up on myself, but I had the thoughts that football might not happen again.

“But I never questioned God’s plans. Not at all. Not one time when I was in that hospital bed did I be like, ‘God why?’ You know what I mean? I just put my head down, put my trust in him, and I knew he would make things right again.”

The official diagnosis was post-infectious encephalitis, an inflammation in the brain.

Bodnar worked relentlessly through physical therapy (in part so he no longer had to use a catheter), and when he was able to jump out of his hospital bed one morning, he said he started to think he would play again.

And play again he did.

Bodnar was named a Comeback Player of the Year in 2025 after returning to play all 12 of Liberty’s games. He made 44 tackles, including a pair of sacks.

That was enough to have OSU come calling when he entered the transfer portal, giving Bodnar a shot at the level he said he knew he was capable of playing at.

“I always knew going into college that this is where I’d be — I’m meant for this level of ball,” Bodnar said. “It’s just football at the end of the day. I played against a lot of guys in high school that are SEC, ACC, so I always knew I was meant to be here.

“Definitely once I got out of the hospital, it gave me more of a drive. Because I honestly did grow into the complacency of, ‘OK, I’m just a college football player,’ being at practice every day and living in the monotony, but once you have it taken away from you, it’s like, OK, boom, you gotta really put your head down and look at what you’ve been given.”

OSU safeties coach Jordan Malone has seen that drive. He praised Bodnar’s work ethic saying there isn’t a practice where he isn’t near the top of defensive backs in yards and sprint yards based off the GPS devices they wear in practice.

“My first time speaking to Christian, I didn’t know his full story,” Malone said. “And then when you hear his full story and get to talking to him, you would never know about some of the stuff he’s been through. That speaks why he’s always smiling, laughing, will joke with you, will be serious when he needs to.

“Getting to know him as a player, you admire him as a coach because he’s one of those guys that you’ve gotta say woah to, not giddy up.”

Bodnar said a week in the hospital will put a lot in perspective, not just football.

“This game can be taken away from you at any moment,” Bodnar said. “A lot of players can take it for granted being out here. Every day you get to come out here and play football and work out and just walk, it’s a blessing.”