Anne Woods: A Weekend for Superheroes
World's Tallest Teenager Lives Football Dreams
Filed under: In The News, Weird But True, Amazing Kids
Tall teen just wants to play football. Photo credit: KXLY.com
Wait a minute. Brendan is almost 7-feet-5-inches tall -- the tallest teenager on the planet, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. And she's worried about him getting hurt?
The sad irony is it took a lot of work to get Brendan on the gridiron. His mother's concerns are more than justified. The 14-year-old eighth-grader from Ellensburg, Wash., about 100 miles east of Seattle, has health problems as formidable as his height. His body is full of tumors. His joints are enlarged. And doctors recently discovered an arrhythmia in his heart.
"I can't run anymore," he told KXLY, the ABC affiliate in Spokane."I can't be active as I used to be."
Getting those assurances was not easy, KXLY reported. Brendan's blood counts were abnormal. Doctors worried a broken bone would result in him bleeding to death. Then, surgery on his spleen got his blood counts back to normal.
Arthritis, another consequence of his height, makes it hard for him to run and jump. "There's not a whole lot he can do," his coach, Kevin Wetzel, told the TV station. "If you want him to get some action, you have to be creative."
The neat thing is that there is no middle schooler who can jump as high as Brendan can hold up his arms. So the team devised a play just for him. All he has do is go about five yards out, hold up his arms and catch a loft from the quarterback.
His teammates call it their "secret weapon."
Brendan's story caught the attention of Oprah Winfrey, and he was a guest on her show last year where she introduced him to basketball star Shaquille O'Neal. Brendan told KXLY that Shaq offered some valuable advice: "Just keep your back straight and have fun."
Brendan hasn't spent much time on the field, but he's a part of the team. That's what is important to him. He told KXLY he wants to show people he is more than just an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records.
"Don't think people are weird because of the way they look because I am a nice person."
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ReaderComments (Page 3 of 3)
11-05-2009 @ 7:29PM
Stanley said...Public school sports is one of the worst elements of public school and has and will continue to result in such things as school shootings. A lot of kids simply aren't born with the kind of body it takes to play sports, and they are usually looked down upon by the "jocks" whose only advantage was one of birth. Worse yet, the jocks bully kids who are not in sports and the jocks get all the attention. The only way to correct this problem is to separate school sports from normal school activities and charge a fee for any kids who want to participate in sports. Regular PE is okay, since it does not differentiate non-athletic kids.
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11-04-2009 @ 7:33PM
Lilla said...May the goddess and god bless this kid.
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11-04-2009 @ 7:36PM
Rich Blacker said...It's great to have fun when you're a kid. I know I did. True enough, it didn't come without some problems. But I'm older and doing fine here. It's possible Brenden will make it past his problems, and likely, too. I would encourage him to stick to his goals and work hard. He needs to believe in the expertise of his doctors and school staff. His hard work will pay off. All I have to say is go for it, Brenden. Don't give up the fight.
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11-04-2009 @ 7:40PM
Pat said...Brendan I think you are a nice person too! Hugs and Kisses to your Mom and your team mates! Hang in there Brendan..you have an interesting life!
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11-04-2009 @ 7:53PM
teklastar said...This young man is hurting from the inside. He wants only to be like everyone else. When a male is so tall, a lot is expected of him. People just assume that he'll love sports, and that he'll be GOOD!! Oh, how easy life would be! I have a son who was 6'8" tall by the time he was 15. He gets chided all of the time about his hieght. He likes sports, but isn't always the best on the court, tho' people expect it of him. I hope this young man finds where he fits the best, and accept that it just may not be playing ball. GOD BLESS and good luck to you . DJATeklaStar
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11-04-2009 @ 7:52PM
Don M said...best of luck in what ever you do brendon god bless
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11-04-2009 @ 8:02PM
lin said...you only live once so have as much fun as you can handle .
if we all listing to a doctor we all would be sick and stay in a bubble.
you know how far u can push your self so do what your heart is telling you and just live .
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11-04-2009 @ 7:53PM
wareagle33406 said...Another good sports story, about as touching as that John Chavous, I think that was his name, story. Good luck and best wishes to you, go for your dreams, no one can take them away from you.
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11-05-2009 @ 9:14PM
mountcoperated said...Wow Good luck buddy. I wonder if he`s got any growth spurts left?
Damn he may end up breaking the worlds tallest man record!
He would have to grow a foot and 6 inches more. For the current living tallest man record he`d have to grow 7 more inches. I think he`ll get to there. Hopefully his medical problems vanish with age. I`m praying for that.
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11-04-2009 @ 8:27PM
Mickey said...He's already taller than Peyton Manning! If he could get some kind of help with his health issues, he could be a real sports superstar!
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2-16-2010 @ 1:46AM
Sarah said...OH.....MY.......GAWD. That is one huge kid. 7'5" tall? I'm 27, and I'm only 5 ft tall, and becuase I'm small, its not unusual for me to have to look up at kids, but I'd pull a muscle in my neck if this big boy was standing next to me. His size is totally amazing for his age. I wish him and his parents luck, and hope that he finds a sport to his liking. Good luck Brendan!
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