Great minds think alike...I was getting ready to say the same thing.
Here's the Jake story, for those who want to read it.
Posted on 10/16/2005 8:51:24 PM PDT by WestTexasWend
The home crowd at Keller ISD Stadium rose to its feet as soon as Lyndon LaPlante jogged onto the field during the fourth quarter Friday night.
The fans went wild during LaPlante's 99-yard touchdown run, which ended with him being mobbed in the end zone by his Keller teammates.
Never mind that the pre-arranged play didn't count. It fulfilled a dream for LaPlante, a senior who has Down syndrome. He maximized the moment by flashing a Heismanesque stiff arm as he crossed the goal line and hamming it up on the sideline after play resumed in Keller's 35-21 win over Richland.
"Man, it was awesome!" said LaPlante, who was still cradling the game ball when his mother, Genni, woke him up Saturday morning. "Everybody said, 'Lyndon! Lyndon! Lyndon!' I was crying with chills."
Keller coach Kevin Atkinson had planned for three years to get LaPlante a carry his senior season. He hoped an opposing coach would agree to allow LaPlante to take a handoff and run over to the sideline to hug his coach.
Atkinson mentioned the idea to Richland coach Gene Wier, who suggested LaPlante should score. They agreed it would happen on Keller's first offensive play of the fourth quarter and notified the officiating crew before the game.
Perhaps it was fate that a Richland punt pinned Keller on its 1-yard line, giving LaPlante as much glory as possible.
Moments earlier, LaPlante had called his father, Don, to the guardrail behind the Keller bench. "I'm goin' in! I'm goin' in!" he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
very nice.
very nice.
A truely heartwarming story. Thanks for posting.
Chuck
How absolutely cool!
Beautiful, beautiful story. What a great coach and school...those kids are just great with their priorities in the right place.
Reminds me of the Jake Porter story from a few years back:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/780200/posts
The most heartwarming aspect of this story to me, at least, is that this young man was able to fulfill his dream. That is more than most of us will ever do.
Many Down Syndrome kids have a very short life expectancy. Whatever is in his future, just the simple kindness of so many people will be forever with him.
Great minds think alike...I was getting ready to say the same thing.
Here's the Jake story, for those who want to read it.
People will be kind.
I remember crying my eyes out, watching this. And I'm not a weepy guy (but as a dad of a severely autistic son, this one definitely hit home).
The video can still be seen here:
http://www.chillicothefire.com/jake_porter/jake_porter.html
Excellent.
And thank God the head official wasn't some zero-tolerance fanatic.
Darn, I lost money on that game! Now, I find out it was fixed.
Thanks for sharing that link. Great stories, just very heartwarming. Almost all, if not all, of us know someone or are related to someone who is challenged in some way.
These are remarkable people.
And I think the other teammates, coaches, parents--even the players on the opposing team--are all to be commended, for just being...decent and compassionate (I'd call it "Christlike").
In today's "winning is everything" culture, it's nice to read stories where people demonstrate that winning ISN'T everything. Or at least there are different definitions of "winning."
Yes, like the Bozo's in this story.
Special kudos to Richland coach Gene Wier.
What an example to the boys on his team!
Oh the humanity of it all - the very heart of America shines - God Bless 'em!
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