Blind Teen Scores Touchdown

by Amy Hatch (Subscribe to Amy Hatch's posts) Oct 19th 2009 2:39PM

Categories: Teens & tweens, Medical Conditions, In The News, Amazing Kids

Spurred on by his teammates, a legally blind Ohio teenager scored a touchdown for the high school football team he manages.

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Most high school football players would be happy to score a touchdown for their team, but the moment was especially sweet for 16-year-old Tyler Brown of McComb, Ohio, who has been legally blind since birth. According to The Courier, Tyler usually acts as the team's manager, but coach Kris Agle convinced the boy's mother to let her son suit up with the team this season. Tyler hit the field for a few plays recently, but on Oct. 15, teammate Michael Keller urged Agle to put Tyler in the game at halftime. With the players behind him, Tyler, positioned as the team's quarterback, made the play of his life.

"I took the snap and two of our seniors, Clay Lilly and Corey Fry, just pretty much wrapped me up and shoved me in, they gave me a big push," Tyler told The Courier. "I stood up and Clay Lilly yelled to me, 'You're in!' and gave me a hug."

The teen and his teammates celebrated in the end zone while the McComb fans went wild, and the team went on to win 47-7 over opponent Vanlue High School. Tyler's story made national news this week, when he and his fellow players told their inspirational tale to the Today show. The boys said that the other team didn't know that the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Tyler is blind.

Coach Alge told ParentDish that Tyler's mom, Bonnie, shed some happy tears when she saw her son in the end zone. "It was pretty spectacular," Alge said. "Tyler was satisfied with just getting in the game, but his mom was pretty emotional. When he got (in the end zone), she was crying."

Tyler credits his teammates and his coach for helping him achieve this special moment. "It was awesome, a cool opportunity. I'd like to thank coach Alge and the rest of the guys on the team," he told The Courier.

Alge confirmed that his team has a big heart. Tyler is a favorite of all the students, he said, and his teammates were the driving force behind getting their friend on the field. Two of them pushed the teen into the end zone from the one-yard line.

Tyler's friend Dylan Mears got the team into scoring position before Tyler took over. The kicker? Dylan has never scored in a game, either, but he gave up his chance at glory for his pal.

"Tyler and his whole class, really, have always been good boys," Alge said. "They have always tried to take care of him, and include him in everything."

Alge added that he never expected so much publicity, and neither did Tyler. "He said, 'Coach, who is going to handle all these phone calls now?'" Alge said. "And I told him not to worry about it. I said, 'You've been my manager for three years, now I can be yours."

Tyler has a hot sports career off the field, too. Alge said that the teen also calls the junior varsity football games, as well as the children's league that plays in McComb on the weekends. Dylan sits next to Tyler and feeds him the action. Tyler delivers color commentary based on his friend's view of the field from the pressbox.

This story -- and that of a Kansas team that recently turned the ball over to a rival player with Down Syndrome -- make us remember that most teens are just good kids who look out for one another, on and off the field of play.

Related: Boy With Down Syndrome Scores Touchdown

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Comments (58)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

baker0906 10-19-2009 @ 9:30PM

I have a 4 year old that is blind and this story brings some much hope to me

SeanH1122 10-19-2009 @ 10:45PM

What I like about this story is the other team didn't just let him score. Even if he had some help it wasn't a planned act between the two teams.

The player with down syndrome only scored because the other team let him. To me they should have just handed him the ball and try to see what happens. Or give him the ball on the goal line.

Pa 10-20-2009 @ 6:08AM

If your 4 year old knows his right from left, get him started in a little guys wrestling program. The rules slightly change for the blind, and the sport is wonderful. Builds self confidence, strong character, and self worth.

Lexy 10-19-2009 @ 8:01PM

This Story is absolutly and Utterly amazing! I'm Legally Blind out of my Left eye so to see a full on blind teen almost like myself do something so incredible is just so inspiring!

LadyA 10-19-2009 @ 8:14PM

aww so sweet good teamwork wat sports r all about

Former sailor 10-19-2009 @ 9:59PM

Too bad that Tyler, Clay, and Corey are still in high school - Tennessee could have used them yeaterday against New England!

Chris 10-19-2009 @ 8:15PM

More people should act this way. Nice job guys

ted 10-19-2009 @ 8:19PM

To bad there are not more sports that do the same like The NFL

john patton 10-20-2009 @ 5:02AM

If you look back a few years, Jim Plunkett of the raiders was legally blind

karen 10-19-2009 @ 8:23PM

I would love say I am SO PROUD of your son on a job well done!!!!!!
I also have a son who is blind and has been since birth and he so bad wants to do football also I keep telling him he just might get the chance one day and to never give up.

Ed 10-19-2009 @ 8:24PM

Great story. It is a like altering experience forBOTH of these young men. I wish them the best in life

Eddie

Denise 10-19-2009 @ 8:29PM

This story should be required reading for every pampered and over-paid professional athlete when they start whining that the millions they are being paid for playing a game isn't enough. Kudos to Dylan for your outstanding and inspiring example of what sportsmanship and friendship are all about. Tyler may have scored the touchdown, but you gave him the chance of a lifetime. Congrats to the school and coach who obviously know that sports are a way to develop character.

Darrell Mayeda 10-19-2009 @ 9:36PM

I kind of hate to be a wet blanket. I like the idea of what they did, but I'm not sure it was the RIGHT thing to do. yes he scored a touchdown but I think it would have been better if they let him do his own running and sort of earned the touchdown instead of bundling him up like that. My brother is disabled. so I have some idea about having a handicapped individual. I'm not sure how much vision he had, but it seems he was led to the end zone. I think the story about the boy with downs syndrome handled it in a better maner, He was shooting, so he made some effort to earn the score.

rio 10-19-2009 @ 8:30PM

WOW GO # 2 YEAHHHHHHH

Mark 10-19-2009 @ 8:42PM

And this is why I love Ohio! Good people ... beautiful land ... good roads and no crazy traffic ... genuine/gentle souls. I can't wait to move back home. God Bless Ohio and all who live there!

Debby 10-19-2009 @ 8:48PM

Now that's a STORY!! Way to go Tyler!!

Himself 10-19-2009 @ 8:51PM

A great story. I have two addenda of differing styles to add:

Many many (dammit!) years ago, I wrestled in high school. One opponent we had was Perkins School for the Blind, in Watertown, Massachusetts. It's probably best known as the place where Anne Sullivan (Helen Keller's teacher) had gone to school.

As the son of a blind person myself, I was interested in the process. I went to practice that week with my eyes closed as much as possible, and realized that as long as I had any physical contact whatever with the other wrestler (even from standing "first period" position") I knew where he was. It was an egalitarian sport as long as some physical contact was there.

Wrestling Perkins taught me more about blindness than I had thought it would, and I thought I knew a lot about the subject having grown up with a father who had never seen me...or my mother.

Second story: I teach now in a Connecticut high school. I had a student last year who had a number of disabilities - he lacked skills, but not heart. In quite a number of freshman games, when the score became one-sided (either way) the coach put D. into the game. His teammates fed him the ball on every rebound and gave him a chance for a shot. It took more than a few games, but he finally hit one. The coach had clued in the opposing coaches as well. The guarding...well...might have been just a little loose. When "D" finally hit his shot, the entire gym went berserk. It was a home game for our guys, but the visiting team celebrated as well. I'd been to a couple of games, but I'm sorry to say that was a game I missed.

I DO know the echoes from that gym lasted for some time around our school.

Every kid on the floor...and on the bench...and everyone else in the gym...can take some credit for that shot.

Way to go, Tyler, and to everyone else who has been part of something similar. In a world in which we find plenty of reason to despair about where we're going, it's a thrill to see a different point of view

ashby moncure m.d. 10-19-2009 @ 10:48PM

you just helped to lift an awful depression from my heart.

Paula 10-19-2009 @ 9:15PM

I think the movie "RUDY" should be required watching for anyone going into sports. It's the true meaning of sportsmanship.

annie 10-19-2009 @ 8:55PM

What a touching story. and people says kids today are mean, drug doing, sex all the time. BRAVO to all on the team. This made me cry. I hope every parent there gave the boys a hug.....

woyumenle16, for once why can't you keep your crap off of this site. Taking away space that could be used for a All right......I report you every time I see your junk posts. Learn to READ......Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry.