Blind Football Player Wins Award

KMBC-TV9 (Kansas City) ^ | 12/05/06

[BookmanTheJanitor]

OTTAWA, Kan. -- A Kansas high school senior is legally blind and has a debilitating illness, but he's overcome the odds and is a star football player, KMBC's Jim Flink reported.

Darius Johnson can see clearly only what is right in front of him, and he has sickle cell anemia.

"It's kind of a blur," he said. "I've had glasses -- it doesn't help. Nothing would help. I've checked into contacts, even Lasik (eye surgery) -- it will not help."

And yet, Johnson has rushed for more than 1,000 yards on the football field.

"He can only see clearly 2 feet in front of his face. Everything else, he makes up for in some kind of way," said Darnell Johnson, Darius' uncle. He adopted the future football star after his mother died of cancer when the boy was 10. (snip)

[BookmanTheJanitor]

Good luck to this inspiring young man.

[Man50D]

T.O. could learn a lesson from Darius Johnson.

[byteback]

2 feet of sight? He could be a receiver in a Jeff Garcia offense.

[dfwgator]

He's better than anything the Detroit Lions have put on the field recently.

[kenth]

Darnell Johnson, Darius' uncle. He adopted the future football star after his mother died of cancer when the boy was 10.

Yep. Good luck to Darius and his whole family. A hand for Mr. Johnson too, who did a selfless thing.