Fox Sports
If you ever want to feel bad about how much (or how little) you’ve accomplished in life, then you don’t have to look any further than the story of USC long snapper Jake Olson. The Trojan was a two-sport athlete who graduated high school with a perfect GPA before getting the chance to play college football, an achievement that would be pretty impressive on its own even if Olson hadn’t lost his eyesight at the age of 12.
However, Olson hasn’t let his blindness get in the way of pursuing his goals. He saw some field time last season, but based on the incredibly impressive quarterback reel he put out in January, it’s very clear that he isn’t going to let his lack of sight get into the way of him living his best life.
Since entering the spotlight, Olson has done an amazing job using his platform to inspire others in a similar situation as him and show just how much he can do despite his disability. Earlier this week, he got the chance to get behind the wheel of a car for the first time in his life at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and he managed to navigate the track thanks to the help of racing legend Todd Bodine in a throwback to what racing was like before rearview windows were invented.
Fox Sports tagged along with Olson to document the day and put out a video that’s guaranteed to make even the most emotionless people feel a little something.
USC long snapper @JakeOlson61 drove a car for the first time in his life this week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/ANhSIztV9g
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) May 17, 2018
Fight on indeed.