Jake Olson Inspires the Sports World
September 05, 2017 | Football, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
On Saturday, USC long snapper Jake Olson realized a lifelong dream by playing in a USC football game. While any student-athlete's first game is an exhilarating experience, the moment was even bigger than that for Olson, who went blind at the age of 12.
As a baby, Olson was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a type of cancer that affects the eye. After doctors removed his left eye, Olson fought off the cancer in his right eye for years, before finally having it removed when he was 12. The day before the procedure that would leave him completely blind, Olson spent the day with the Trojans as a guest of then-head coach Pete Carroll.
Years later, Olson earned a Swim With Mike scholarship to attend USC, and walked on the football team.
His years of practice finally paid off on Saturday. After USC safety Marvell Tell III scored on an interception return, USC head coach Clay Helton called Olson's name. Olson ran out onto the field with his hand on placeholder Wyatt Schmidt's shoulder before crouching down and executing a perfect snap to give the Trojans a 49-31 win.
"If you can't see how God works things out, then I think you're the blind one," said Olson in USC's postgame press conference.
Olson also posted a message on social media after the game, thanking his family and his coaches for helping guide him through his journey. He also dedicated a special thanks to Pete Carroll, who brought him into the USC football program in the first place.
Carroll, now the head coach of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, said he "couldn't stop crying" watching Olson on the field and called Jake "an extraordinary young man."
Since the game, Olson has shared his story with a number of media outlets.
He explained on the Dan Patrick Show that he was confident in his ability to execute, but was nervous about being part of such a monumental story. He described the "sense of peace" when he lined up over the ball to Doug Gottlieb of The Herd on FOX Sports Radio .
On The Rich Eisen Show, Olson shared how great it was to embrace his family at the end of the game and his aspirations to make it into a few more games in his next few years at USC.
Olson and the Trojans are back at it when they face Stanford this Saturday.
Click below to listen to Jake Olson's interview on Jim Rome is Burning:
As a baby, Olson was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a type of cancer that affects the eye. After doctors removed his left eye, Olson fought off the cancer in his right eye for years, before finally having it removed when he was 12. The day before the procedure that would leave him completely blind, Olson spent the day with the Trojans as a guest of then-head coach Pete Carroll.
Years later, Olson earned a Swim With Mike scholarship to attend USC, and walked on the football team.
His years of practice finally paid off on Saturday. After USC safety Marvell Tell III scored on an interception return, USC head coach Clay Helton called Olson's name. Olson ran out onto the field with his hand on placeholder Wyatt Schmidt's shoulder before crouching down and executing a perfect snap to give the Trojans a 49-31 win.
"If you can't see how God works things out, then I think you're the blind one," said Olson in USC's postgame press conference.
Olson also posted a message on social media after the game, thanking his family and his coaches for helping guide him through his journey. He also dedicated a special thanks to Pete Carroll, who brought him into the USC football program in the first place.
Carroll, now the head coach of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, said he "couldn't stop crying" watching Olson on the field and called Jake "an extraordinary young man."
Since the game, Olson has shared his story with a number of media outlets.
He explained on the Dan Patrick Show that he was confident in his ability to execute, but was nervous about being part of such a monumental story. He described the "sense of peace" when he lined up over the ball to Doug Gottlieb of The Herd on FOX Sports Radio .
On The Rich Eisen Show, Olson shared how great it was to embrace his family at the end of the game and his aspirations to make it into a few more games in his next few years at USC.
Olson and the Trojans are back at it when they face Stanford this Saturday.
Click below to listen to Jake Olson's interview on Jim Rome is Burning:
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