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Joe Martel is a 14-year-old defensive tackle for the Beggs High School junior varsity football team in Oklahoma. He’s not on any recruiters’ radar, and probably won’t get a scholarship to play in college. But high school sports website MaxPreps still visited him to watch him play and talk to him, because he’s worth their time and yours. Both of Martel’s legs were amputated below the knee, but he’s still out there playing with only a set of prosthetics and no special rules.
Martel had a birth defect known as tibia hemimelia, which means he had no tibias connecting his knees to his feet. His legs were amputated below the knees to allow him the use of prosthetics to walk. The first clip in the above video is of Martel in youth football, playing as a running back without any prosthetics. In that condition, Martel once scored a touchdown.
Now older, Martel’s prosthetics allow him to play without restriction, but his determination and heart is what puts him on the field. His head coach, Lee Blankenship, described his effect on the team: “When one of our kids feels like they’re having a bad day, they look over at Joe and see that smile, see his work ethic. Man, it really motivates and inspires our kids.”
(Via MaxPreps)
