Here’s something completely non-political, but I just had to share it. You may want to grab a kleenex.
Ike Ditzenberger is a 17-year-old high school student with Down syndrome and a player on Snohomish Panthers football team in Seattle.
Ditzenberger made the news recently with what his teammates call “The Ike Special,” an touchdown run designed especially for him.
The Vikings were up 35–0 with seconds to go, when the Panthers quarterback made the hand-off to Ditzenberger. The Vikings sluggishly allowed the Panthers’ offensive line to shove them aside, as Ditzenberger sprinted 51 yards to the end zone.
The score now 35-6 as time expired, Ditzenberger performed a touchdown dance with his adoring teammates.
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One last bit from this story, in case you aren’t already bawling (in a manly way, of course). Ike’s mother, Kay Ditzenberger, told the media that she couldn’t have been prouder of the other players: “They redefined worth. Players often are defined by their scores on the board, but they showed he was worth their effort and time.”
