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‘I can’t see the players’: Blind high school football player breaks barriers

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WE’LL GO THROUGH THE SEVEN DAY FORECAST IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES. ALL RIGHT. SOUNDS GOOD. HEATHER. THANKS. ALL RIGHT. A MODESTO TEEN FOOTBALL PLAYER IS BREAKING BARRIERS AT SEVEN YEARS OLD. JASON BRACEY LOST HIS VISION THAT DID NOT STOP HIM FROM BECOMING A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYER. KCRA 3’S CATALINA ESTRADA HAS HIS STORY. ESPARTA 18 YEAR OLD JASON BRACEY IS UNSTOPPABLE ON THE FIELD. IT’S A LOT. I MEAN, FOOTBALL IS. FOOTBALL IS LIKE WHAT I BREATHE IN AND BREATHE OUT FROM STARTING QUARTERBACK TO NOSE GUARD. HIS GAME PLAN IS ALWAYS TO DEFY THE ODDS. NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I GET KNOCKED DOWN TO THE GROUND, I’M GOING TO GET BACK UP AND FIGHT. FIGHTING IS PART OF HIS DNA. AT ONE YEAR OLD, JASON WAS DIAGNOSED WITH RETINAL CANCER. HE HAD TUMORS IN THE RETINAS OF BOTH OF HIS EYES. BY THE TIME HE TURNED SEVEN, HE WAS BLIND. WALK UP, WALK UP RIGHT THERE. STILL, THAT DIDN’T STOP HIM FROM PURSUING HIS DREAM TO PLAY FOOTBALL. NUMBER 15. HE WANTED TO PLAY. HE WAS HIS OWN ADVOCATE. ONCE HE BECAME OLD ENOUGH AND STARTED CALLING AROUND TO SOME OF THE LOCAL YOUTH TEAMS, THE MODESTO RAIDERS WAS THE ONLY TEAM THAT GAVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY DOING WHAT HE LOVES TAKES PRACTICE ON AND OFF THE FIELD, BRACEY MEMORIZES EVERY PLAY AND WHERE THE PLAYERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE. I CAN’T SEE THE PLAYERS SO REPS IS. I HAVE A CONSISTENT AMOUNT OF REPS AND LEARN EVERY TIME I TAKE A REP TO, HEY, OKAY, SO THIS PLAY, MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS, DO THIS. MORE ON THIS PLAY. MAKE SURE YOU DO THAT. MORE FROM THE SIDELINES. HIS FATHER GUIDES HIM THROUGH A HEARING DEVICE IN HIS HELMET. GO PASS PASS PASS. LEFT LEFT LEFT. BASICALLY WHAT I TRY TO DO IS PAINT A MENTAL PICTURE FOR HIM OF WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS SEEING OUT ON THE FIELD. HE’S PROVEN TO BE AN OUTSTANDING PLAYER WITH HIS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM. THE EAGLES AND MODESTO. YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO AND I MEAN THAT FOR ME FOR A LOT OF THINGS. AND SO BASICALLY, BASICALLY, IT’S NOT OVER UNTIL YOU SAY IT’S OVER. AS HIS TIME AS AN EAGLE COMES TO AN END, THIS SEASON, HE SAYS HIS FUTURE IN FOOTBALL IS JUST BEGINNING. GO TO COLLEGE AND TAKE MY, YOU KNOW, SKILLS TO THE NEXT LEVEL. IMPROVE AND GO TO THE NFL FROM THERE. BE OUT THERE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN. BROTHER. LOVE YOU MAN. IN TURLOCK CAROLINA ESTRADA KCRA THREE NEWS AND JASON BRACEY WILL BE GRADUATIN

‘I can’t see the players’: Blind high school football player breaks barriers

Jasen Bracy’s game plan is always to defy the odds. The 18-year-old high school football player is completely blind, but that doesn’t stop him from going out to the football field to do what he loves. “Football is like what I breathe in, breathe out,” said Bracy. At a young age, Bracy was diagnosed with retinal cancer. His father, Jasen Bracy Sr., said he had tumors in the retinas of both eyes and by the time he turned 7 years old, he was blind. “Now, he’s just in complete darkness,” said Bracy Sr. At the age of 13, Bracy Jr. knew he wanted to become a football player, so he took matters into his own hands. “Once he became old enough and started calling around to some of the local youth teams, the Modesto Raiders was the only team that gave him a opportunity,” said Bracy Sr.Doing what he loves takes practice on and off the field. Bracy Jr. memorizes every play and where the players are supposed to be. “Reps is a big thing for football and for me, especially reps because I can’t see the players,” said Bracy Jr. From the sidelines, his father guides him through a hearing device in his helmet. “Basically, what I try to do is paint a mental picture for him of what everybody else is seeing out on the field,” said Bracy Sr.Bracy Jr. has been a starting quarterback and is now a nose guard with his high school football team, the Enochs Eagles, in Modesto, California.”You can do whatever you put your mind to,” said Bracy Jr.Friday night was his last game with the Enoch Eagles before he graduates next year, but he said his football career is just beginning. “Go to college and take my, you know, skills to the next level, improve and go to NFL from there,” said Bracy Jr.

Jasen Bracy’s game plan is always to defy the odds.

The 18-year-old high school football player is completely blind, but that doesn’t stop him from going out to the football field to do what he loves.

“Football is like what I breathe in, breathe out,” said Bracy.

At a young age, Bracy was diagnosed with retinal cancer.

His father, Jasen Bracy Sr., said he had tumors in the retinas of both eyes and by the time he turned 7 years old, he was blind.

“Now, he’s just in complete darkness,” said Bracy Sr.

At the age of 13, Bracy Jr. knew he wanted to become a football player, so he took matters into his own hands.

“Once he became old enough and started calling around to some of the local youth teams, the Modesto Raiders was the only team that gave him a opportunity,” said Bracy Sr.

Doing what he loves takes practice on and off the field. Bracy Jr. memorizes every play and where the players are supposed to be.

“Reps is a big thing for football and for me, especially reps because I can’t see the players,” said Bracy Jr.

From the sidelines, his father guides him through a hearing device in his helmet.

“Basically, what I try to do is paint a mental picture for him of what everybody else is seeing out on the field,” said Bracy Sr.

Bracy Jr. has been a starting quarterback and is now a nose guard with his high school football team, the Enochs Eagles, in Modesto, California.

“You can do whatever you put your mind to,” said Bracy Jr.

Friday night was his last game with the Enoch Eagles before he graduates next year, but he said his football career is just beginning.

“Go to college and take my, you know, skills to the next level, improve and go to NFL from there,” said Bracy Jr.

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