A teenage athlete who survived a crash that killed four teammates says he is working hard to get back onto the football field, three months after the collision involving a suspected drunk driver sent shockwaves through a northern Alberta community.

For the first time since the October crash, 16-year-old Zach Judd spoke publicly about the tragedy and revealed that he has been undergoing physiotherapy to regain his strength.

"In physio, they push me to do things I couldn't do at first, but now I can," Judd told reporters at an Edmonton hospital Friday.

Wearing a red shirt with the words "ultimate fighter" on the front, Judd spoke clearly and concisely during the news conference.

"So they've helped me, and at first it was really hard, but now it's not that hard."

During the early morning hours on Oct. 22, Judd was riding in a car with his friends near Grande Prairie, Alta., when they were involved in a collision with a pick-up truck.

Teens Matt Deller, Vince Stover, Tanner Hildebrand and Walter Borden-Wilkins were all killed in the crash.

Judd was airlifted to hospital in Edmonton, where doctors discovered he was suffering from brain injuries, a fractured skull, a broken rib and a punctured lung. Judd was in a coma for 11 days and couldn't walk or communicate after coming back to consciousness.

On Friday, doctors estimated that the high school football player will be released from Edmonton's Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital by the end of the month. It's expected he will head back to Grande Prairie and continue his therapy at home after his release.

Speaking beside her son, Judd's mother said that the past weeks have been a trying time for the family. But she is thankful that her son continues to progress.

"He made it through," Desiree Judd said. "As he was first coming out of his coma, he wasn't talking and he wasn't walking, he wasn't really functioning on his own, that was probably the hardest because I knew how independent he was."

Physiotherapist Annette Lemke said that the teen has been making real progress since coming out of his coma, and she's confident that he will make a full recovery.

"He works hard," Lemke said. "He's told me multiple times physiotherapy is his favourite part of the day, which pumps me up too. So he's kind of my cheerleader as well."

Still, with a long road to recovery, Judd will likely have to wait a full year before he can take part in any contact sports.

"I want to play sports, but I can't play the sports that I like playing, because of my brain injury," Judd said. "So I have to take a year to get ready to play them."

Meanwhile, the criminal case against the driver of the pickup truck involved in the crash continues to work its way through the justice system.

Brendan Holubowich, 21, faces 11 charges, including impaired driving causing death and failing to remain at the scene of the crash.

Holubowich is set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on August 27.

With a report from CTV Edmonton's Laura Tupper