A blind athlete is poised to achieve a remarkable feat after saying he will join one of college football’s most famous teams, the USC Trojans.
Jake Olson was born with a rare cancer of the retina, and lost his sight completely at the age of 12. On Monday he tweeted that he would be joining the Trojans “as a player”. A USC spokesperson confirmed to ESPN that Olson is likely to practice with the team on Tuesday.
Tomorrow I walk out onto Howard Jones field not as a fan or honorary member, but as a player for the USC Trojans! #fighton
— Jake Olson (@jakethesnakeo) September 15, 2015
Olson plays as a long snapper and has been a Trojans fan since childhood, and after he lost his sight he got to know USC’s former head coach Pete Carroll. The 6ft 4in, 195lbs Olson went on to play football and golf at high school before winning a scholarship to USC for physically challenged athletes. He had be cleared by USC and the NCAA before joining the team.
In April the Trojans coach, Steve Sarkisian, told the LA Times he expects Olson to get some game time with the team. “Someday, he’s going to snap in a game for us,” Sarkisian said. “When? I don’t know. But it will happen.”
If he does play for the Trojans, Olson will be joining illustrious company. USC have produced 12 Pro Football Hall of Fame members, and current NFL players include Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer and San Francisco 49ers running back Reggie Bush. The team played in front of an average crowd of 73,272 in 2014.
