A high school senior with cerebral palsy played out one of his childhood dreams when he ran 80 yards to score a touchdown in his team’s last home game of the season.
Sepp Shirey is a member of the Atlee High School football team in Virginia, and has to use his crutches when he is on the field.
But late in the fourth quarter of their game against Varina High School, Shirey’s coach made the decision to put him in.
So the teenager dropped his crutches and went to join his team at the line of scrimmage.
Sepp Shirey was born with cerebral palsy. During the final home game of his high school career, he ran for an 80-yard touchdown
Shirey was originally only supposed to carry the ball for a yard or two before the the Varina Blue Devils would tag him out with two hands instead of tackling him.
Coach Matt Gray had already alerted the officials and the other team’s head coach to Shirey’s appearance in the game.
Instead, the teams put aside their differences and helped Shirey run for an 80-yard touchdown on his second carry.
Both teams ran with Shirey, cheering and waving him on until he dives over the line into the arms of a teammate to score six points.
‘He carries the ball. He’s down to the 30,’ the announcer says. ‘He’s down to the 20-yard line. The Varina Blue Devils are chasing him. He returns the ball to the five. Touchdown!’
‘I had no expectations,’ Gray said to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. ‘This kid carried the ball for a touchdown.’
Both teams put aside their differences and cheered Shirey on while he ran down the field
After the 80-yard run, Shirey dove over the line and into a teammate’s arm to score a touchdown
Shirey often needs to use crutches to help him run and walk while on the football field
Shirey scored the 80-yard touchdown Friday night without the assistance of his crutches
Shirey has been playing football since he was in fourth grade, and hopes to attend the University of Alabama to study broadcast journalism
Shirey has been playing football since he was in the fourth grade.
‘It’s something I can remember from my earliest time being a part of,’ said Shirey to NBC 12. ‘It’s something that in my life, right now, I enjoy more than anything.’
‘I think I’ve just realized that this is just me, and there’s not any changing that,’ Shirey said. ‘And I can be who I want to be, despite having cerebral palsy.’
Shirey hopes to attend the University of Alabama and study broadcast journalism. He also aims to be involved with their football team in some capacity as well.
‘We learned more from him than what anyone thought we gave him,’ Stu Brown, Varina’s coach, said. ‘The definition of physical and mental toughness is Sepp marching 80 yards.