From car wrecks to tonsillitis, NMSU's Donovan Faupel is no stranger to adversity

Donovan Faupel lay on a hotel bed, grimacing with pain in his throat.

It was the morning of Sept. 13, 2024, the day before New Mexico State's road game against Fresno State. The then-sophomore wide receiver experienced tonsil flare-ups during fall camp, but this was different.

"My tonsils were so big, I couldn't breathe through them," Faupel said.

Faupel received medication from a team doctor before that evening's walkthrough, but he got worse. Faupel was sent to a nearby emergency room, where he was diagnosed with tonsillitis and stayed until 2 a.m. the next morning, getting his tonsils removed.

Faupel missed the Fresno State game and the following four, and was in bad shape when he returned for the final five games to tally just 48 yards on three catches.

MORE AGGIES SPORTS: Analyzing New Mexico State basketball's roster for the 2025-26 season

Faupel says that was the "lowest point of his life", but past low points gave him hope he'd overcome this one.

Faupel fractured his foot and played only three games during his junior season at Corona Centennial High School (California) and was involved in a car accident before his senior season in 2022. His friend's car was T-boned and engulfed in flames, forcing Faupel to crawl out with his right arm's skin ripped to the bone. Doctors gave him two choices: He could either have surgery and miss the season, or stitch up the arm and play, but risk an even more severe injury.

Faupel took the risk. He got stitches, wore a cast, and played well enough to earn an offer from then-NM State wide receivers coach Tony Sanchez. If he can come out of that positively, nothing can stop him in his mind.

"I don't feel like anything could really keep me down too long," Faupel said. "Anything can happen to me, but I've come back from a lot. I've been through a lot."

Faupel had instant support after his tonsils were removed. His mother, Lacey, traveled from California to Las Cruces to comfort him and provide him with food and drinks he needed to soothe his throat. Faupel also received support from his other immediate family members and his fellow wide receivers, like PJ Johnson III, who would always text or call him to see if he needed help.

When he returned during an idle week in October, it was over a month since he last had any serious activity. Faupel's focus had to be on conditioning and weight-lifting to get his stamina back, which led to him not seeing the field much as the Aggies closed the season.

Faupel's exit meeting with Sanchez, now NM State's head coach, was about "where he stood on the team" and what his next move would be. He decided to stay and prove his worth as a starter, and that fired Sanchez up.

"I wasn't really sure where his career was gonna go," Sanchez said on Aug. 18. "He decided to hunker on in with us, and I'm glad he did, because he's a hell of a football player."

Faupel had yet another setback, as a hamstring injury kept him out for most of spring football. But he returned to be a standout player during fall camp and was named a starter.

Coming into the season, Faupel wanted to repay the trust he says Sanchez has had in him since high school.

"I have a good relationship with him," Faupel said. "Having that with your head coach, trusting you, believing in you, having your back even through the low points, it just makes my play harder."

MORE AGGIES FOOTBALL: After five long years, NMSU's Logan Fife finally has his shot. He's ready to seize it

He prayed with his father on the phone before the season opener against Bryant , and impressed almost instantly with a 55-yard catch on the second drive. Faupel finished with 99 yards to exceed his entire 2023 and 2024 totals, followed it up with a 78-yard game against Tulsa with a 24-yard touchdown catch.

He's currently NM State's (2-0) leading receiver heading into its Conference USA opener against Louisiana Tech (1-1) on Sept. 13, and is finally showcasing how he can be impactful.

"It's like day and night for the offense," said wide receiver TJ Pride on Sept. 8. "(Donovan) coming back was a key piece for us, and my relationship with (Donovan) has grown tremendously... because now we've grown closer."

Faupel's challenges have made him stronger, but they've also taught him to enjoy simply being out there. Faupel feels fortunate to be playing after everything he's been through, let alone as one of the Aggies' key players.

"I'm just enjoying it... It's felt like so long since I've played football," Faupel said. "I've been trying to enjoy every day. Sometimes, I might drop a pass, but I appreciate it because I'm able to do it. It makes that catch feel even better, because I didn't have those opportunities before."

This story was updated to correct the spelling of Faupel's mother's name.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: How Donovan Faupel bested car accident, tonsillitis to be NMSU starter