His life could have ended that day outside a corner store in Passaic. His high school football career was almost definitely over.

At least that's what Santos Nunez was told on the operating table about four years ago.

A gunman ambushed the Passaic teenager one Sunday night about a block from his home.

One bullet caught him in the left arm. The second one pierced his stomach. Nunez said two other people were shot that night – Nov. 4, 2018 – by someone he believes was a gang member.

A doctor later explained that someone in his shoes may have a 20 percent chance of survival.

"I'm not going to lie. I almost died," said Nunez, 18. "The doctor was like, I don't know how you made it."

A long battle loomed in front of him over the next few years.

Two surgeries. Five scars. Three days in a coma.

That infamous night was not the end for the recent high school graduate. Instead it marked the beginning of a comeback story. He defied his mother's wishes by returning to football for his senior season and became a useful member of the Indians' secondary. Teammates were drawn to a magnetic personality that convinced him to run for Homecoming King.

Nunez looked back on it all after winning the Kearny Bank Strength Award earlier this month. He'll use the $2,500 scholarship to pursue a degree in business administration, either at Montclair State or Bergen Community College, after completing classes for his real estate license. It makes him the first person in his family to go to college.

"He got the best out of his experience," Passaic football coach Mark Dupree said. "His rapport with his peers and his presence was more than enough to inspire everyone."

A trip in an ambulance started with a "typical day" and a 6 p.m. run to the corner store.

His team's upcoming football game was at the top of his mind, having signed up that year as a freshman. That all changed when he stepped outside the building and into a scary situation. Nunez recalled that no one said anything to him before the shooting began.

"At first I got shot in my hand," Nunez said. "Then I got down and I kept walking little by little. When I got up, I got shot again. From there, I was like, I'm running home."

The wounds underneath his jacket were serious. Before long, Santos was taken for emergency surgery to remove the bullet in his stomach that left damage to his small and large intestines.

Visits from coaches and teammates lifted his spirits during a two-week stay in the hospital. But a crushing blow came when a medical staffer warned him that he would never play football again.

"The funny thing is that I was so happy that I had a game on Monday," Nunez said. "A football game. My coach talked to me and said Santos, be prepared to be my starter. So just be prepared."

Several months passed by before he returned to Passaic High School and the life he once knew. Simple activities like taking a shower became tricky. The sound of an ambulance became traumatic.

"Everything changed," Nunez said. "I was in bed for a good three months. I couldn't get up. I couldn't even go out. I was paranoid."

Nunez was back in class as a sophomore and found a new hobby a year later. One of the coaches on the golf team was his sixth grade teacher and persuaded him to join. The harder sales pitch came later when Nunez had to spend a "good two months" to talk his mom into letting him back on the football field. The season opener for the Passaic varsity team – a road win over Teaneck – came exactly 34 months to the day after the shooting.

"When I was out two years, it was like, wow. Why did it have to be me?" Nunez said. "When I got back, I was like, this is my last ride. It's the last chance to give everything I got, so that's what I did this year. I tried my best and showed my coaches that I never give up on myself, that I'm always working to be successful."

Last fall, Nunez played all over the field, including at safety and on special teams. Dupree described him as a role model for younger players who "brought a lot to the table" even without getting the most action.

"We tried to get him on the field as much as possible," Dupree said. "Because he was a loyal player for us over the years."

Nunez perks up while talking about the future ahead and the journey to a real estate career.

Would he have liked another year of football? Of course. But his uncle works in construction and needs someone to sell the houses.

Nunez hopes his story and pursuit of higher education can inspire his family as the oldest of three children.

More than anything, the last few years have taught him to never quit, no matter the odds.

"We all showed him love," Dupree said. "Not too many people come from a situation like that and become Santos - a regular person doing the best he can academically and athletically."

Sean Farrell is a high school sports reporter for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter and download our app.