Parachutist 'doing great' after slamming into Virginia Tech scoreboard

BLACKSBURG, Va. - The big headline coming out of Virginia Tech's spring football game Saturday had very little to do with football. Instead, many fans are talking about the skydiver who crashed into the scoreboard just ahead of the game.

What we know:

Pasha Palanker is a decorated veteran who served 17 years in Army special operations, he's successfully jumped into dozens of stadiums all over the country, and he is also the parachute demonstrator who millions of people saw in videos posted to social media over the weekend.

Palanker was one of three people who were meant to parachute into Virginia Tech’s spring game. He told Fox 5 there were unexpected wind sheers – up to 27 knots when the usual limit for pre-game parachuting is 14 knots.

He feared landing in the stands and potentially hurting someone. So, Palanker tried to land outside the stadium before another big gust of wind slammed him into the scoreboard.

He dangled for about 15 minutes until first responders were able to rescue him, ultimately delaying the game by more than an hour.

Palanker added that he's now dealing with some soft tissue damage in his left shoulder and that he feels as if he was hit by a train. But not only did Palanker say he'd happily take those injuries over the alternative, he added that he sees the ordeal as an opportunity for growth and to spread a message about mental health.

What they're saying:

"I’ve been blown up three times. I had a face to face with a suicide bomber during my time in service. I struggled badly when I got out, and when I look back on my life, every difficult challenging incident that happened, has led to something beautiful, and that’s how I see this situation," said Palanker.

And regarding his health, he said, "I’m doing great. It’s all relative. It could’ve been a lot worse."

What's next:

Despite the incident, Palanker plans to continue parachuting, telling Fox 5 that as soon as he's healed, he'll be back in the sky.