The Amount Blind USC Long Snapper Jake Olson Has Achieved In His Life Will Blow Your Mind

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Jake Olson was born with a rare form of cancer of the retina called retinoblastoma. Before his first birthday, the disease robbed his left eye of sight. Then when he was 12 years old, he lost sight in his right eye, deeming him totally blind. Fast forward nearly a decade, the 6-foot-4, 195-pounder has become the sport’s first blind long snapper en route to claiming the Pac-12’s special teams Player of the Week after delivering a perfect PAT in USC’s victory over Western Michigan.

But this accomplishment is far from Olson’s greatest. According to the Los Angeles Times, Olson held a 4.3 grade-point average in high school, played varsity football and golf (he consistently shoots in the 80s), sang in the school choir, co-wrote two faith-based books about overcoming adversity. He is also a motivational speaker who has spoken in 20 states and founder of the Out of Sight Faith foundation, which raises money to acquire technology for the blind.

Olson has been a longtime friend of the USC program after then-USC head coach Pete Carroll invited Jake and his family to meet the team back in 2009. Olson attended team meetings and was a source of energy and encouragement in the locker room.

He’s always blown me away, how much confidence he has and how capable he is and what a factor he is with people he meets,” Carroll said. “I just love the fact we had a chance to meet him and watch him grow up.”

Jake chose to spend his last day with sight at a USC practice.

“There were nights of crying and stressful times when I couldn’t get the thought of going blind out of my psyche,” Olson said. “But every time I was up at SC or talking to one of the players or just being around, it was just pure fun.

“And, truthfully, pure peace.”

Jake’s dream of playing and contributing in a big time Division 1 game came true on Saturday, as he was mauled my teammates after a perfect PAT snap.

After the game, Jake and his guide dog Quebec celebrated in the USC locker room.

Inspiring.

P.S. I pray this is Jake’s girlfriend. DIME.

[h/t LA Times]