Colleyville Heritage High School's newly-crowned homecoming king shows how to overcome challenges
UPDATE: Colleyville Heritage homecoming king surprised with wheelchair accessible van
COLLEYVILLE (CBSNewsTexas.com) - There was a special moment at a North Texas high school football game Friday night where the biggest cheers were for someone who didn't play in the game.
Zakai Clay is on the sideline of Friday's night football game between Colleyville Heritage and Trimble Tech. It's right where he wants to be.
Almost.
"I wish I could play football but, obviously I can't," Clay said.
Because of cerebral palsy, the 17-year-old Colleyville Heritage senior uses a wheelchair, which is powered, in part, by his megawatt smile.
"I'm so grateful for what I have," said Clay.
He knew the likelihood of ever being cheered and celebrated on the field during a game was slim. Until he came up with an idea.
"I was shocked," said Jaime Foster, Clay's mother. "Zakai has always been pretty shy so he came home and told me he was running for homecoming king and that he made the court..."
So, Clay campaigned.
"It was my last year, and I just want to put myself out there for my last year," he said.
Clay's desire to be homecoming king paid off and, with the help of Grapevine Colleyville ISD's special needs bus that brought him to Friday night's game, he rolled out onto the field at halftime to the cheers of the crowd, as this year's homecoming king.
"It's amazing that I get to be celebrated," said Clay.
"Just proud," Foster said. "For putting himself out there because like he said, he hasn't done anything like this in the past."
Clay's scepter and crown may have taken the place of a football, but under the Friday night lights, he felt like he scored a touchdown.
"It's a privilege to call me king,' he said.
And that's what everybody's been calling him.
Foster is working to raise funds for a wheelchair-accessible vehicle so Clay can participate in extracurricular activities during his senior year.
