By John Seewer
Associated Press
POSTED: 11:20 a.m. EDT, Oct 16, 2009
TOLEDO, OHIO: Tyler Brown took the snap and felt a push from behind.
He charged ahead, not knowing whether he had made it into the end zone until he heard his teammates cheering.
''A dream come true,'' said Brown, who is legally blind. ''I always wanted to know what it was like to be out there.''
Up until this season, he had been on the sidelines at McComb High School in rural northwest Ohio, working as a team manager in football and basketball. He's still handing out water and towels, but he's also getting a chance to play.
Brown, a junior who scored his first touchdown two weeks ago, is able to see a little bit in front of him and make out some colors. When he's on the field, he runs with his head tilted so that he can see the shadows of the other players.
''He's pretty darn athletic,'' said Kris Alge, football coach at the school 40 miles south of Toledo. ''It's just a shame he can't see.''
Brown, 16, didn't believe it when his coach told him this summer that he wanted to get him into a game. ''I just thought he was messing around with me,'' Brown said.
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