It’s been nearly six years since Jake Olsen became an honorary member of the USC football team. In the fall, the “honorary” title will be dropped and, as the Los Angeles Times reported, Olsen will join the team as a walk-on.
Olsen is an 18-year-old senior long snapper at Orange Lutheran. He has a 4.3 grade average, is a member of the golf team, sang in the school choir, and is blind.
Olsen was born with retinoblastoma, a rare form of retina cancer. He lost his left eye at 10 months and his right one when he was 12. It was around that time when he became an avid USC fan and met former coach Pete Carroll.
Olsen’s relationship with Carroll and ultimately the entire USC program was documented in a ESPN College Football Gameday piece in 2013. Olsen never let his blindness hold him back. He learned, thanks to the help of coaches and teammates, to be a long snapper and hit a golf ball. He became an inspiration to nearly everyone who met him. He helped pen two books and is an accomplished motivational speaker.
The Los Angeles Times had a lengthy feature about Olsen’s journey to USC, which included a desire to live a normal life despite his disability.
In February, Olsen received a Swim With Mike scholarship, which is awarded annually from the Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship fund. The fund, which is named for former USC swimmer Mike Nyeholt, who was paralyzed from the chest down in a motorcycle accident, has raised more than $16 million and has funded scholarships at 85 universities since 1981.
USC coach Steve Sarkisian told the Los Angeles Times that he fully expected Olsen to participate in a collegiate game before his time with the Trojans was complete.
"Someday, he's going to snap in a game for us," Sarkisian told the paper. "When? I don't know. But it will happen.
"When that day comes, it will be awesome."
For more USC news, visit TrojanSports.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Blind long snapper Jake Olsen to walk on to USC football team
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