The massive scar at the back of JD Schickerling's neck is clearly visible for all to see.
It's reminder of a dark time in the tall lock's life, when he needed surgery three years ago after breaking his neck while playing for the Western Province U21 team against the Blue Bulls.
Doctors told him that he might never play rugby again, after an opposition player slammed his shoulder into Schickerling's head.
The player, only 19 at the time, was literally 2mm away from being paralysed, or worse.
However, two years later in 2016, the lock made his debut for the Stormers in a Super Rugby match, incidentally against the Bulls. And now, in 2018, he is being talked about as a future Springbok.
Schickerling is one of a host of promising locks coming through the system in South Africa, after putting in a Man of the Match-winning performance against the Jaguares in the opening weekend of Super Rugby. It's the one position where the Boks have more than enough talent going around.
The Sharks' Ruan Botha and the Lions' Franco Mostert are always contenders, while Pieter-Steph du Toit made his comeback from injury against the Waratahs, and Lood de Jager and RG Snyman were very good for the Bulls against the Hurricanes. Then there is also a chap called Eben Etzebeth, who is busy recovering from injury.
But Schickerling's rise has been phenomenal if you consider what he had to work through after that horrendous injury. This was not a muscle tear or sprained ankle. He was a breath away from not being able to walk again, let alone running into guys who want to knock his block off at every opportunity.
"The big thing was taking contact again," Schickerling tells KweséESPN. "You know you broke your neck and now you have get the confidence again to go head first into a tackle.
"The toughest time is actually until you can get back to rehab and on the field again. I thought my career was over. I didn't know if I was going to be able to play again until the doctor told me that there is a chance, but I needed a second operation.
"I got a chance again."
While Schickerling is making the most of his second chance at the game, it's not been an easy ride for those close to him. His mother, Cornelia, still gets a bit nervous when he takes the field.
During his comeback match in 2016, in the Stormers' Super Rugby opener against the Bulls at Newlands, Schickerling suffered a high shot during essentially his first carry of the match. It was a bit too much for his mom to take.
"She was very scared in the beginning. Obviously, every mother would be like that," he said after the match.
"My mom told me -- she was really angry -- she doesn't want to come watch me live because she rather wants to watch it on TV. It wasn't good for her, because both my parents actually went through a tough time with me. But they stood by me and that helped me a lot."
In 2016 Schickerling played a pivotal role in Western Province's run to the Currie Cup final, and he was tipped as a possible bolter for the Springboks' November tour to Europe.
Current WP coach John Dobson coached the U21 team when Schickerling broke his neck. Dobson certainly doesn't have any doubt that the player is going to be Bok -- sooner rather than later.
"We have always known his potential and he has just got better and better," Dobson told KweséESPN.
"I was the coach when he broke his neck, and at one stage we were grateful that he was alive, not even worrying if he would play rugby again. And today if you could trade him on the stock exchange, you would buy shares in him becoming a Springbok.
"There is a deep sense of appreciation that he is still able to play the game, and that has accelerated his maturity. Knowing that he was one or two millimetres from death and then coming back to throw his body around speaks a lot about his character."
Schickerling is a wonderfully versatile lock, one who can rough it in the tight loose, but who also has a wonderful ability in the lineouts. His work rate is also exceptional, and he can slot comfortably into the enforcer role as a lineout forward.
"I don't mind playing four or five, as long as it benefits the team," Schickerling told the media before the start of the 2018 campaign. "We have got good depth and the competition is always a good thing.
"It's great to play with Eben and Pieter-Steph, they actually boost me. If I get an opportunity, I want to make my mark."
Shickerling certainly made his mark in the first match against the Jaguares, and it's not likely to be the end of his fairytale comeback.