Football fan lost his sight but not love for the game; he became a player By Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela staff 05.04.15
Jake Olson has walked through the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum tunnel sidebyside with University of Southern California (USC) football players. He has soaked in the roar of the crowd. He has reveled as the marching band played “Fight On” after Trojans touchdowns. Over the years, while on the field as a guest of the program, Olson crouched like a center and felt the stadium turf with his hands. “Any time I was down there,” he said, “I always tried to feel almost as if I was reaching for a ball.”
Excellent Long Snapper Olson is blind, but, amazingly, he is also an excellent long snapper. In football, a long snapper is responsible for passing the ball backward to a player behind him at the start of a play. The player who catches the ball holds it for the kicker in an attempt to score an extra point or a field goal. Sometime in the next four years Olson may trot onto the field during a game. He will then be guided by a USC teammate to the ball at the line of scrimmage, with the teams lined up for a new play. The holder will line up Olson’s hips, then turn and kneel seven yards behind him. He will yell a cue, and Olson will hike the ball back in a tight spiral. The timing and precision on such a play must be perfect, but if all goes well, it will end in a field goal. If that scenario seems unlikely, well, you don't know Jake Olson.
Cancer Stole His Sight ... Olson lost his left eye to cancer at 10 months. He was 12 when doctors determined his right eye also would need to be removed. By then, Olson had become a devoted football fan, and he decided he wanted to spend as much time as possible before losing his sight watching the USC Trojans play. The Trojan's head coach heard about Olson and invited him to come visit the team. Olson caught several games and spent his last day with sight at a Trojans practice. His courage and positive attitude inspired many USC players.
Five days after his operation, now completely blind, Olson played center in a middle school flag football game. Olson sat in the stands during football games in his first two years at Orange Lutheran High, but he still longed to play the sport he loved.
... But He Still Had A Vision When he brought up the idea of becoming a long snapper, the only position that does not require a player to visually track the ball or the movements of opponents, his mother was not enthusiastic. She feared he might be turned down — or injured. Nonetheless, near the end of 2012 Olson sought out Orange Lutheran Coach Chuck Petersen and asked if he could join the team. Petersen told him to return after the team finished out that season. “I didn’t want to kill the kid’s spirit, so I just said ‘Oh, OK’… and thought I’ll probably never hear about this again,’” Petersen said. Olson showed up in the spring and again asked for an opportunity. “I told Jake, ‘You of all people don’t want this to be a charity case — you’re going to have to earn your spot,’ ” Petersen said.
Teammates Saw A Football Player Progress was slow at first, particularly because Olson could not be shown how to throw the ball. However, Olson practiced relentlessly and over time the speed and accuracy of his snaps improved enormously. He eventually became the team's firstchoice long snapper and won the starting position. Teammates would guide Olson onto the field and help him line up with the ball, but he otherwise performed as any other player. “We didn’t see him as a blind person — we saw him as a football player,” kicker Jerry Fitschen said.
An Unforgettable Moment Olson experienced an unforgettable moment last season against Servite High in Anaheim. Orange Lutheran trailed by a large margin but fought back to within three points, bringing the score to 25–22. With a few minutes left, Olson came on for the snap for a fieldgoal attempt. He lined up and experienced something for the first time: In a stadium filled with the noise of a spirited crowd, “everything kind of got quieter,” he said. He recalled thinking, “Well this is pretty cool.” The snap, hold and kick were perfect, and Orange Lutheran tied the score.
Heading Off To USC The 6foot4, 195pound Olson is now a high school senior and has been admitted to USC. He is not part of the university’s incoming 24player football recruiting class, but he may join the program as a walkon. Steve Sarkisian, USC’s football coach, said he would not be surprised if a movie were made about Olson’s journey. Contributing to an extra point or field goal for the Trojans could be part of the story. “Someday, he’s going to snap in a game for us,” Sarkisian said. “When? I don’t know — but it will happen." He added, “When that day comes, it will be awesome.” Olson is not expecting special treatment. “Just the opportunity,” he said, “to prove myself like anyone else.”
Summary and Response should be on a separate sheet of paper, and be 68 sentences. Summary: Summarize the article in the following way: Who is Jake Olson currently? (Hint: Look at the Conclusion) What sport does Jake Olson play, and what makes him unique? What happened to Jake Olson’s eyesight? Did this stop Jake Olson from trying out for the team? What was Jake Olson’s major accomplishment? What school is Jake Olson most likely going to play for? Response: If you were to lose your eyesight, what would you miss most? What would be the final images you would want to see (Family, Friends, Nature, etc.) ? What could you imagine yourself still doing that others might doubt you doing (Sports, Driving, Etc.)? What would you need to do to overcome this obstacle?
