http://www.kansascity.com/703/story/1452971.html?storylink=pluck_recommended Freshman Matt Ziesel scores a touchdown against Maryville. Below is a little write-up from the Ziesel family for those of you not familiar with Matt: 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
Follow-Up:
Thank you everyone for your interest in this video. It amazes me the number of people across the nation and the world that were touched by this video of Matt scoring a touchdown. For those that don't know, I put the video on Youtube so that Patty, Matt's mom, could see the play because she wasn't at the game. Youtube seemed to be the easiest way to get it to her and my fellow football coaches via a youtube link in an email. Since then it has become a national phenomenon. The Lord works in mysterious ways and I believe he was working through Matt and the freshmen football teams in this situation. Truly a blessing to see the impact this touchdown has had on people around the world. I have received numerous emails from people all across the land sharing their words of appreciation. There has also been over 1,700 comments shared under the video, with the majority of them being very positive. I thank you all. You have no idea how much that means to hear those kind words. There is a lot of compassion in this world and I appreciate those of you supporting Matt. This entire thing has been a life-changing experience many involved.
Coach McCamy
This is amazing! I don't know how people can think that this is stupid. Even though it was a set play, you don't realize that every player on that field should be proud of themselves knowing that they just made this kids dream come true! It shows how much sportsmanship has improved over the years and this show the character of them. Way to go Matt, congrats on your touchdown!
lilaustin21 2 months ago 11
Ladies and Gentlemen.. The 1st pick of the 2019 NFL Draft
95BST 2 months ago 10