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 has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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