Blind man set to play football at Tulane as preferred walk-on
The Tulane Green Wave will welcome Aaron Golub to campus this fall as a preferred walk-on football player. This in and of itself isn't news. But the fact that Golub is legally blind sure is.
The incoming freshman, who was a two-year starter at Newtown South High School in Boston, has no vision in his right eye and only limited sight out of his left. Naturally, it begs the question: How will Golub be able to play college football?
As fate would have it, Golub has developed himself into a pretty solid long snapper, which is arguably the most underappreciated position on the football field. Golub was ranked by 247 Sports as the 12th best long snapper in America and the 19th overall prospect in the state of Massuchusetts...
http://network.yardbarker.com/author/article_external/16513645?headline=blind_man_set_to_play_football_at_tulane_as_preferred_walk_on&sport_name=college_football
especially since a lot of folks who have diabilities with sight rely on their sense of sound to do a lot of things, a football stadium isn't a very quiet place. I'm amazed at folks who can accomplish such things despite their limitations. I recently remember reading about a blind pole vaulter. Very impressive.
Usually in my nature to make a joke to a story like this, but this time I just can't. I'm in awe of Golub's drive and desire to compete.
It's the same sort of thing that makes the story of Derrick Coleman of the Seahawks, who is legally deaf, such a great one - the desire and drive to compete and do what it takes to succeed. From the Yahoo! story:
His coach said that Golub has only had “one bad snap in two years” and that he is “very” accurate.
“If you set your mind to it, then you can do it. There’s nothing that you can’t accomplish if you really want to do it,” Golub said.
flat out awesome! I hope he has the best time playing, and a great career whatever he ends up doing.
If he doesn't make it as a football player, he has a future as a referee or an umpire.
Is this safe? Could you imagine the criticism Tulane would get if they put him in the game and he got a bad concussion?
Regardless of what you might think of Pete Carroll, USC football and the Seattle Seahawks, the story of Tulane’s Aaron Golub also reminds me of California high school student Jake Olson, the blind long snapper who'd befriended Pete Carroll and the USC football team before he'd lost his sight. Hoping that both Golub and Olson enjoy success in whatever they pursue.
Already a success story by simply making a college team. Anything from here on our is just gravy.