The darkened lenses merely provide extra protection for what eyesight Jitoboh has remaining.
“I would’ve gone crazy if I did that all day,” Jitoboh said. “So I tried to find loopholes. I’d stand up and look down. It was just finding different ways to heal and also live life.” Jitoboh missed the final 14 games last season. His sight slowly started to return a few weeks after the injury. He could make out shapes, then colors. His peripheral vision returned, too, but his straight-ahead sight in that eye remained foggy for months — even to this day.
Jitoboh missed an entire semester of coursework because he couldn’t look at a computer screen, and he packed on a few extra pounds because he was unable to work out, let alone practice. Jitoboh, who attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee, knows several of his upcoming opponents well. He holds no grudge against Tennessee senior Olivier Nkamhoua, who poked him during the rebound.