Visually-Impaired Football Player Jasen Bracey Speaks About Finding The End Zone
MODESTO (CBS13) — Jasen Bracey, 13, said there were some butterflies before he lined up under center against the Galt Warriors last Saturday.
"In the huddle, Coach Dave asked me, 'Are you ready?' and I said, 'Kind of,' because I was nervous," Jasen said.
When the ball was snapped, he was hoping to find the end zone for a touchdown.
"I just pushed on the centers back to back. And then I tumbled into the end zone and then after that, I just felt good," Jasen said.
The teen celebrated by spiking the ball.
"The elation, the joy and resolution because I know for so long he wanted to play football," his father, Jasen Bracey, said.
The touchdown meant more than just six points on the scoreboard. Jasen developed a form of eye cancer when he was younger and lost part of his sight. His lack of sight almost stopped him from hitting the field.
"Me and the mom was always so reluctant to get him out there, afraid that he was going to get here," Bracey said.
But, Jasen said he had the fire and desire to play. He googled and called coaches of youth teams in Modesto to suit up for. But no one allowed him on their team. That all changed one day with coach Nichols.
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"Oh, he blew up my phone!" Coach David Nichols said.
Nichols called Jasen back saying he could play for the Modesto Raiders.
"When I first put them on my team, I was a little hesitant because I never coached a blind kid before. But as it went on, this kid's got more heart than half the city I guess reason," Nichols said.
Nichols told CBS13 that Jasen's energy was infectious on the team. So, Nichols knew he had to find a way for Jasen to feel the rush of knowing what it was like to score a touchdown.
But Jasen didn't want any special treatment at practices or games.
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"Whenever I try to line him up against a different kid in practice, he gets mad at me. 'Coach don't do that,' 'Hey, I want to want go up against whoever I line up against,' That's just the way that boy is and that's the way he plays," Nichols said.
He tried a few times with different plays. They were a few times were plays were penalized or Jasen took big hits. So, they developed a wedge plan to get the ball in his hands to score. The team practiced the play time and time again.
Eventually, Jasen's number was called.
"His dad's all, 'You know it's at the 5?' because usually, we try to do it at the one," Nichols said. "I said, 'No, we're getting him in there,' and we got him in there on the first try and like I said it was amazing man."
"The same way I carried him off of the field is the same way I carried him out of the hospital," Bracey said.
Jasen thanked his offensive linemen for blocking for him like all great quarterbacks do. He may not be able to see on the field, but Jasen said he has a vision of what he wants to do next on the gridiron.
"Trying to get a sack. Get a sack on the quarterback," Jasen said.
"Stay tuned because we are going to try to get him to throw a touchdown pass," Nichols said.