Disabilities: Scoring a touchdown - Pt. 2

Printz helped Teets off the accessible school bus every morning and was head football coach at Triad High near Urbana, Ohio. Teets had ?

By Daniel Vance

As mentioned last column, Payton Printz and Andrew Teets were close friends.

Printz helped Teets off the accessible school bus every morning and was head football coach at Triad High near Urbana, Ohio. Teets had muscular dystrophy and helped out with the football team.

After the last game of 2006, Printz said if possible he'd give Teets the opportunity to score a rushing touchdown in a real game during the 2007 season.

Printz believed he could "arrange" a special touchdown with opposing coaches.

"So right before our fourth game this year," said Printz in a telephone interview, "I called the coach of Southeastern High. He and I are friends, and I knew if anyone would allow this (special touchdown) to happen it would be him. I asked, and he said, 'yes.'"

At the time, Southeastern had a 17-game losing streak. At halftime Southeastern led 21-0, and Teets, finally informed of the "arrangement" and in uniform to score a touchdown, surprised his teammates.

"He knew how badly everyone wanted him to score," said Printz of the popular senior, "but he wouldn't let 'his' touchdown be the only one and therefore take away from their shutout.

He said Southeastern deserved a shutout if they could get it, especially after a 17-game losing streak."

Later, with seconds remaining in the game, Southeastern's coach called the prearranged timeout to allow Teets to score. But Teets refused to enter because of Southeastern's shutout. He didn't want his moment in the sun to detract from theirs.

Triad High's next opponent was West Liberty. Its coach agreed to a similar arrangement and would use a timeout with seconds remaining to allow Teets a touchdown.

"Once again, we were getting crushed, and shutout, and Andrew wouldn't go in," said Printz.

At the next game, Triad High was losing 26-7 to Greeneview High. With the clock winding down, the opposing team purposely gave Triad the ball on downs, and a Triad running back was allowed to rush the ball to the Greeneview one.

With help, Teets rose from his wheelchair and walked unsteadily onto the field.

Said Printz, "I personally lined him up. He carried the football like a loaf of bread. The place erupted in cheers (when he scored). Both bands played their fight songs. There wasn't a dry eye in the stands. Everyone knows Andrew."

-For more, see danieljvance.com This column made possible by a grant from Blue Valley Sod, www.bluevalleysod.com.