Rochelle junior Dylan Manning, who was hospitalized for one month after suffering a severe head injury during the team’s varsity football game against Morris in October, underwent a successful cranioplasty at Loyola Medical Center on Jan. 7.

Manning underwent the cranioplasty to repair a missing portion of his skull, which was removed to alleviate swelling after his initial injury. Manning, a three-time All-Interstate 8 player who earned Rochelle’s Hackett MVP Award in 2025, wore a protective covering on his head for nearly two months before the cranioplasty. The procedure involved implanting a 3-D printed portion of his skull.

“The surgery went well,” said Ben Manning, Dylan’s father. “The incision is basically a big horseshoe on the side of his head, just above his ear, that goes up to his forehead... We stayed in the ICU for three days and we went home on Saturday. He’ll go back to get all of his stitches out and then we’ll really learn more about what they’ll allow him to do and what physical things he can do.”

Manning suffered the initial injury on Oct. 3, when he collapsed on the sideline and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. He was airlifted to Loyola Medical Center for further treatment. At Loyola, Manning underwent multiple brain surgeries, including an initial surgery to remove a blood clot and relieve pressure on his brain.

On Oct. 4, Rochelle Township High School held a prayer gathering for Manning. Inspired to “Play like Dyl”, the Hubs won their last three regular season games and made the playoffs, finishing 6-4 with a first-round loss to Geneseo. Manning had surgery on Oct. 11 to address a possible infection and provide relief. He then had all three of his drains removed on Oct. 15, 18 and 24, respectively.

Manning’s breathing tube was removed on Oct. 27 and he was discharged from the ICU on Nov. 2. Manning continued to recover at Marianjoy in Wheaton, where he started outpatient therapy on Nov. 7. One week later, he returned home to Rochelle. Since that time, Manning has completed speech therapy and is doing physical therapy at Northwestern Medicine in Sycamore during the week.

“He started speech therapy at Marianjoy and he continued some of that at Northwestern, but he’s good to go on that,” Ben Manning said. “We just got home from the REC and we walked a mile. He has a long way to go to get anywhere near what he was in terms of his conditioning and his overall strength... He’s eating normally and stretching his stomach back out by eating as much as he can.”

A starting running back and defensive back for the Hubs, Manning eclipsed the 2,000-yard rushing mark during his junior season. He was named an IHSFCA Academic All-State honoree in 2024. A two-sport athlete who pitches and plays outfield for the RTHS baseball team, Manning is slowly regaining the strength lost from his stay in the hospital. He lost around 30 pounds, but he’s gained 20 back.

“He went from playing at 185 to 155 after that first month in the hospital,” Ben Manning said. “His shoulders rolled forward from being curled up in the hospital bed and he was so tight. But they’ve been working on that at PT. They’ve been working on his shoulders and balance has been a huge thing they’ve been working on so he isn’t falling and hitting his head... He’s just improved overall.”

Manning reunited with his Rochelle classmates at a Hub basketball game on Dec. 3. It was the first public appearance since the injury for Manning, who has been catching up on his classwork remotely since returning home from the hospital. Should Manning’s follow-up appointment go well, the goal is for him to return to school in the morning and catch up on core classwork in the afternoon.

“He caught up on all of his math classes,” Ben Manning said. “We had a teacher who was willing to swing by the house and meet with him through Teams to get him caught up. The first time they met and he started doing that homework, I asked him how it went and he remembered it all. Mentally, he’s doing really, really well... Dr. [Chris] Lewis and everybody at the high school have been great.”

RTHS and the Rochelle community supported Manning and his family throughout his time in the hospital. On Oct. 16, Culver’s in Rochelle donated 10% of its proceeds to the Manning family. The Northern Illinois University football program also donated 10% of ticket sales from its Oct. 25, Nov. 18 and Nov. 28 games to the family. Cornett’s Chana Tap is another business that has helped.

“I’ve tried to say it in a few Facebook posts, but Jen and I are just blown away by the support, the love, the prayers and the financial support,” Ben Manning said. “I can’t say enough thanks to all of the businesses or people who’ve sent money, calls, texts or letters. Several football teams around the state sent cards... It was an eye opening experience for us to see the amount of love and support.”