Determined to play football after losing his sight, this teen is now a starting quarterback
Jasen Bracy has always enjoyed playing different sports, but football is his passion — and he won't let anything get in the way of his dream of becoming an NFL star.
Bracy, 15, was diagnosed with retinal cancer when he was a toddler, and by his seventh birthday had lost his sight. Bracy told his parents that he was determined to play football, and his dad, whose name is also Jasen, told CBS News they said no, wondering, "How is this going to be possible for him to get out there and play?"
Bracy found a way. He started calling different teams in the Modesto, California, area, and finally got through to Coach David Nichols with the Modesto Raiders. "The way he was on the phone, I just said, 'Come on, we'll figure it out," Nichols said. Bracy told CBS News he memorizes every play and where each player is supposed to be on the field, and after proving himself in practice and during games, he was made starting quarterback.
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"It's all memory," Bracy said. "It's all about having trust in the player, the receiver, and the team. I have to trust them 100 percent."
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Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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