He didn't go on to play college basketball or make it to the NBA, in fact it was the only game he ever played in. Most of you have probably forgotten about the story of Jason McElwain, but I most definitely have not. In fact it would be quite opposite. I think about this story almost everyday. Having a mentally handicapped younger brother (his name is Colten) I have an emotional bond to this story, you see Jason wasn't a "normal" kid in high school. Jason is autistic.
He spent his high school years as a manager for the basketball team and finally on the last game of his senior year his coach decided to let him dress, and with the team having a large lead the coach decided to put him in. Missing his first two shots didn't discourage him in fact it did the opposite, because like many handicapped people failure is not an option, obstacles are only created so that they can be concurred and that is when it happened, 6-10 on 3's and a total of 20 points in 4 minutes. When asked of his performance Jason replied "I was really hotter than a pistol" He instantly became an inspiration to everyone.
I often wonder what my brother Colten could do athletically if he was physically and mentally able. I always assumed he would be a better athlete than my brother and I put together. Though he can't communicate it, you can see the determination to succeed in his eyes. I think that is why I love this story so much, because Jason did succeed and proved to the entire country that being handicapped isn't a reason to quit. It's just a reason to try harder.
Take a second and watch the video... I get chills every time I see it.
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