The plan was to only run a few steps, but a high school senior in Atlee, Va., who lives with cerebral palsy went a little bit further — 80 yards — scoring a touchdown during a Friday night football game.
Atlee High School senior Sepp Shirey made the unexpected touchdown for the Atlee Raiders with the help of his teammates and opponents, as the team played the Varina Blue Devils.
During the fourth quarter, Shirey was brought into the final home game with the plan to carry the ball for only a yard or two, according to CBS affiliate WTVR.
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Officials explained to the Blue Devils player to two-hand touch Shirey once he got the ball. But Blue Devils coach Stuart Brown said in a Facebook post the players made their own decision to allow the Atlee player to score an 80-yard touchdown “while escorting him in the end zone.”
Cerebral palsy limits Shirey’s ability to walk, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and he will often use crutches for help.
“I had no expectations,” Raiders coach Matt Gray told the Times-Dispatch. “This kid carried the ball for a touchdown.”
Brown added that it was on the senior’s second carry that he went 80 yards. WTVR reports Shirey then collapsed as he crossed the goal line.
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