[Nfbwv-talk] FW: [acb-l] Blind Football Player

Tue Feb 7 18:34:09 UTC 2012

(smile) 

Sheri Koch, MS, CRC 
WVDRS 
Program Supervisor 
Blind & Visually Impaired Services
McJunkin Rd.
Nitro, WV  25143
sheri.l.koch at wv.gov 
Phone:    (304) 760-7178
FAX:  (304) 759-2274

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-----Original Message-----
From: nfbwv-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwv-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jack Yahnke
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2012 1:32 PM
To: NFB of West Virginia Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Nfbwv-talk] FW: [acb-l] Blind Football Player

Thanks, Sherri.  That is not only inspirational, but timely.  I just enjoyed 
a very good Super Bowl XLVI.

Jack

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Koch, Sheri L" <Sheri.L.Koch at wv.gov>
To: "NFB of West Virginia Discussion List" <nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org>; "Pam 
Allen" <pallen at lcb-ruston.com>; "Wilson, Joanne" <JWilson at nfb.org>; 
"Anderson, Rebecca F" <Rebecca.F.Anderson at wv.gov>; "Currey, Tina M" 
<Tina.M.Currey at wv.gov>; "Hoffman, Clinton R" <Clinton.R.Hoffman at wv.gov>; 
"Miller, Carla C" <Carla.C.Miller at wv.gov>; "Neal, Judy E" 
<Judy.E.Neal at wv.gov>
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 8:46 AM
Subject: [Nfbwv-talk] FW: [acb-l] Blind Football Player

This is so very cool!  ENJOY

Sheri Koch, MS, CRC
WVDRS
Program Supervisor
Blind & Visually Impaired Services
McJunkin Rd.
Nitro, WV  25143
sheri.l.koch at wv.gov
Phone:    (304) 760-7178
FAX:  (304) 759-2274

This electronic mail transmission may contain information that is 
confidential, privileged, proprietary, or otherwise legally exempt from 
disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified 
that you are not authorized to read, print, retain copy or disseminate this 
message, any part of it, or any attachments. If you have received this 
message in error, please delete this message and any attachments from your 
system without reading the content and notify the sender immediately of the 
inadvertent transmission. There is no intent on the part of the sender to 
waive any privilege that may attach to this communication. Thank you.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sharon Fridley [mailto:sharon.fridley at gmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2012 12:30 PM
To: Koch, Sheri L
Cc: Douglas, Michelle L
Subject: FW: [acb-l] Blind Football Player

Sharon Fridley

When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift
up a standard against him.  Isaiah 59:19

-----Original Message-----
From: donna brown [mailto:dandmbrown at atlanticbb.net]
Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2012 7:52 PM
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Workman; annis householder; anita bennett; A. C. McGhee; dennis dennison
Subject: Fw: [acb-l] Blind Football Player

> Blindness Not Enough To Sideline California Teen
>  by Gloria Hillard November 6, 2011
>  Gloria HillardstNPR Taylor Howell told Vasquez High's football
> coach that if he wasn't blind he sure would love to play
> football.  The coach told him he'd have to come up with a better
> excuse than that.  The sophomore now plays center on the junior
> varsity team.
>  It's afternoon practice for the junior varsity football team at
> Vasquez High in Acton, Calif.  A high desert wind somersaults a
> discarded paper plate across the line of scrimmage just before it
> becomes a pile of white jerseys and purple helmetsdd"ally were
> offsides," the coach yells after blowing his whistle.
>  The players dust themselves off and line up for the next play.
> At center, is Taylor, a lean 15-year-old.  His quarterback, Bryan
> McCauley, is a few yards behind him in shotgun formationdd"Down,
> set, hike, good," Bryan says.
>  That "good" from the quarterback is valuable information for
> Howell, who is blind.  It means his aim was dead on."
>  Breaking out of the huddle after he calls the play, it's up to
> my guards to get me up to the line of scrimmage, make sure that I
> know where the ball is," he says.
>  On the field the tackles tell him what to do and if Taylor has
> a question he goes to Bryan.
>  "I make sure he's straight so he doesn't snap the ball
> crooked," he says.
>  Head coach Tim Jorgensen says initially he played Taylor as
> center during the point after touchdown.
>  "Cause that's somewhat a protected position you can't hit him
> because their heads are down and he's an excellent snapper," he
> says.  "And then about a couple games in, the coach says 'Well,
> he wants to play regular1' and I said, 'Put him in there.'"
>  During the water break, Taylor takes off his helmet.  He has
> short, light brown hair and a no-nonsense demeanor.  But when
> asked about the practice and if he took any hits, his face lights
> updd"I've taken a few hard ones," he says.  "It happens.  It's
> part of footballdd"ally take the hits as they come, Taylor says.
>  That's something he learned at a very young age.  He was just a
> toddler when he was diagnosed with cancer.  After a year of
> radiation and chemotherapy, he lost both of his eyesdd"We've
> never discouraged him from doing anything he's wanted to do,"
> says his mom, Jennifer Oudekerk.
>  She says her son learned the alphabet in Braille when he was in
> preschooldd"He's always been a little ahead of his time, which
> has been amazing," she says.  "He is a daily inspiration for me."
>  Taylor's teammates look out for him and give him cues on the
> field.  Teammate Hector Hernandez remembers when Taylor told him
> he was going to try out for footballdd"And I like, I didn't think
> he'd actually do it," he says.  "He's pretty tough, he gets
> banged up every day and he's still hanging in there."
>  The players don't cut their center any slack, but they're
> watching out for him all the time, whether it's a gentle tug on
> his jersey or verbal cues -- a step forward, a little to the
> right.
>  It's more than two hours into practice.  The sun is setting
> behind the hills and those white jerseys are more a shade of dirt
> and grass now.  Taylor says he plans to try out for varsity next
> year and has talked to Jorgensen about playing college ball.
>  "I'm realistic with him.  I said, 'Well you know you're going
> to grow, and ...  you gotta lift weights to get your strength up
> and as we get into it, we'll see1'" Jorgensen says.  "We'll take
> it one step at a time, one year at a time."
>  That was good enough for Taylor.  For now he's focused on
> winning the next game."
>  That's a feeling you can't describe, you know, after you've
> come off the field knowing that you helped your team just win,"
> Taylor says.
>  A whistle blows and, after the dust settles, a tall guard with
> wide shoulders gently guides his center back to the offensive
> line.
>  Copyright 2012 NPR
> _______________________________________________
> acb-l mailing list
> acb-l at acb.org
> http://www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/acb-l

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