Disabled Hawaii grad assistant to travel with team for first time
December 26th, 2007Associated Press story in the International Herald Tribune:
He spends hours on the football field, but his feet never touch the turf. His specialty is dissecting offenses, but he’s never played a down.
Meet Brian Kajiyama, a first-year graduate assistant for Hawaii who was born with cerebral palsy, scoots around in a motorized wheelchair and communicates by typing into a small computer that speaks in a robotic voice.
… “Everybody talks about the greatness of this 12-0 team and how we have a tremendous quarterback. That is so true,” said Jeff Reinebold, Hawaii’s defensive line coach. “(But) is there anybody who has made the impact that guy in the chair is making in terms of changing lives? I don’t know.”
… “Brian, to my knowledge, is the first wheelchair-bound, non-speaking coach in college football,” Reinebold said.
Our RSS Feed