Greatest football play I’ve ever seen!
Matt Ziesel, a freshman on the Benton High School football team in St. Joesph, Missouri.
He has Down Syndrome, so while he is on the team, he doesn’t participate in “full-contact drills at practices,” according to the Kansas City Star.
But Matt got the chance to make a dream come true last September. He not only got to play in the game, but he scored his first touchdown.
Benton coach Dan McCamy ’s team had the ball but were losing 46-0 when he approached opponent Maryville High School’s defensive coach David McEnaney, asking Maryville to let Matt Zeisel, a 5′3″, 110-lb running back, score a touchdown.
Demonstrating great sportsmanship, Maryville agreed, and the unforgettable moment was captured in all its viral-video glory: Matt Zeisel’s touchdown run.
I heard the story a while back, but just kept forgetting to post it. Finally I remembered, and the video got to me today just as much as the first time I saw it.
If you haven’t seen it yet….know that it will tug at your heart strings.
If you’ve seen it already…know that it will still tug at your heart strings.
Below is a little write-up about Matt by the Ziesel family:
Matt is a special athlete who has Down Syndrome. He loves football and has grown up in an environment surrounded by sports. His father is a coach/athletic director, and all his siblings play sports. He grew up at athletic events, and has always been a cheerleader. He registered as a freshman at Benton High School -Saint Joseph, MO this year, and told his mother and father he wanted to play football. The team takes good care of looking after Matt, and he is still the cheerleader on the sidelines. He puts his pads and helmet on, stands next to Coach McCamy and waits for his turn to play. Over and over during the course of the game Matt will say, “Coach McCamy, I am ready! I am ready Coach!” On this Monday night coach gave him a chance. The Cardinals were down by a few touchdowns with 15 seconds left. Coach McCamy called a timeout and asked the coach of Maryville High School if they could run their “Matt Play”. He agreed and this is where the video begins. Thanks to Coach McCamy and the freshman coach at Maryville, Matt and his family will cherish his moment forever!
- Sincerely The Ziesel Family
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