bookmistres4ever
9-24-05, 06:53 AM
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Bobby Martin was born without legs, but the only thing that kept him from playing high school football last Friday night — as he had the three previous weekends — was a Cincinnati game official who told both the coaches and athletic directors that the Colonel White senior wasn't wearing proper equipment.
"He said Bobby couldn't play because he didn't have shoes on," Colonel White assistant Kerry Ivy said. "He told me the rule says a player must wear shoes, thigh pads and knee pads. I told him, 'He needs feet before he can wear shoes. He needs legs before he can wear those other pads. What are you thinking? Then he said Bobby needed a medical waiver. I told him he'd already played three games, but he said those were the rules."
The decision in the game at Mount Healthy left Martin in tears.
"It's the first time in my life I ever felt like that," Martin said Monday as he readied for practice after school. "Everybody was looking at me, talking about what I didn't have. I felt like a clown. I hated it. I just wanted to know why it was different this game than all the rest."
Dennis Daly, the officials' crew chief who announced the decision, wouldn't discuss the matter Monday night: "I have no comment. Talk to the Ohio High School Athletic Association."
Colonel White Athletics Director Carolyn Woodley and Jonas Smith, Dayton Public Schools AD, did Monday.
"Sometimes common sense has to prevail," Woodley said. "The doctors have said it's OK for Bobby to play, so have his parents, and he has the necessary grades. That's all he needs. Officials at the first three games had no problems. The way he was denied Friday, I thought it might be some kind of violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act."
Hank Zaborniak, an assistant OHSAA commissioner, talked to all parties involved Monday: "It's unfortunate this happened. The officials should have let him play. There is a rule requiring shoes, thigh and knee pads, but I think it's fair to assume that means you have legs and feet. I talked to the official who made the call and he said he felt his crew might get in trouble if the young man got hurt. If they were going to err, they wanted it to be on the side of safety.
"We will provide Colonel White with a letter that says he's cleared to play."
Martin got in for just one play in the first half Friday — he's part of the punt return team — but the half-time decision to keep him on the sidelines seemed to stir everyone.
"I felt bad about it," said Mount Healthy AD Tina Tuck. As it turned out, Martin's presence was felt in the second half. Colonel White had been dominated in the first half and trailed 28-0. Once the players found out Martin was being denied, they got so worked up they played Mount Healthy even in the second half, scoring 12 points to the Owls' 13.
"Bobby carried our guys along," said Cougars assistant coach Tyrone Thornton.
On a night when he was denied, the kid with no legs managed to give his team fresh legs.
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Legless player revels in national spotlight
DAYTON | On Wednesday, Bobby Martin did an interview with USA Today and talked to producers at Good Morning America. Today, he'll call back ESPN and CNN.
After that, other state and national radio, newspaper and TV reporters await. But the Colonel White High School senior football player would like to share his story with one other media giant.
"I wouldn't mind going on Oprah," Martin said. "She has a good show. I watch her."
Born without legs, Martin gained attention this season for some limited varsity playing time.
He received more attention when an officiating crew in Cincinnati mistakenly didn't allow him to play in the second half against Mount Healthy this past Friday. The state athletic association said Martin needs no special waiver but sent a letter to Dayton Public Schools stating that Martin is eligible.
Martin said he was told the USA Today article would be in Friday's edition. He said he likely will fly to New York in the next two weeks to be on Good Morning America.
Despite misplacing his cell phone, Martin is fielding requests from everywhere. He said he's glad his story is expanding.
"I like it," Martin said Wednesday while watching Colonel White's freshman football team play at Belmont. "I want people to know more about me — not just locally, but nationally."
His message will be clear.
"If they see me somewhere, don't look like I'm strange or something, just know a little bit about me," Martin said. "Just look at me as a normal person, a regular person, knowing that I have no legs, but just don't see that in me."
Sudden fame, if only fleeting, is something Bobby's mother said he will enjoy.
"He's a ham, especially when it comes to people paying attention to him," said his mother, Gloria. She then laughed and said, "I guess he's handling it all right. I hope he doesn't get the big head."
By Wednesday, Martin's story was a hot topic on WLW-AM (700). Many callers were inspired by his effort. But host Andy Furman said he felt Martin shouldn't play and called it a "freak show."
Told that, Martin tried to call WLW. The phone line was busy several times and no one answered when it rang.
"Mmmm, I'll prove 'em wrong," Martin said. "Come watch me play Saturday."
Colonel White plays Belmont at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Welcome Stadium.
While he plays sparingly on varsity — he did have two late tackles against Valley View in Week 1 — Martin is a regular in junior varsity games. Colonel White assistant coach Kerry Ivy said Martin had four solo tackles and seven overall (Martin estimated 10) in a recent junior varsity game.
"They were trying to say (on radio) that he's making a mockery of the game," Ivy said. "One thing about it, he's not doing that. If you come out there and watch him play, he's out there to make plays. He makes plays better than a lot of guys with two feet."
Gloria said most people in Dayton know her son's circumstances. When they go outside of the city, that's when the stares come.
"One time I took him to Kings Island and they wouldn't let him ride any rides," Martin's mother said of a trip six years ago. "Things like that, you get sort of used to it after 17 years."
Not surprisingly, Colonel White head football coach Earl White is more concerned about his team's unsatisfactory 1-3 record than Martin's fame. But the coach said the saga is not a distraction. He said it's a story worth national attention because Martin is playing a mainstream sport under amazing circumstances.
"Bobby will be an inspiration to all other disabled kids," he said. "And to all kids for that matter."
Being compared to all other players is what Martin likes. He'll share those thoughts with all the media outlets he talks to.
"I'm a normal kid," Martin said. "I don't want anybody to feel any remorse for me."
Bobby Martin was born without legs, but the only thing that kept him from playing high school football last Friday night — as he had the three previous weekends — was a Cincinnati game official who told both the coaches and athletic directors that the Colonel White senior wasn't wearing proper equipment.
"He said Bobby couldn't play because he didn't have shoes on," Colonel White assistant Kerry Ivy said. "He told me the rule says a player must wear shoes, thigh pads and knee pads. I told him, 'He needs feet before he can wear shoes. He needs legs before he can wear those other pads. What are you thinking? Then he said Bobby needed a medical waiver. I told him he'd already played three games, but he said those were the rules."
The decision in the game at Mount Healthy left Martin in tears.
"It's the first time in my life I ever felt like that," Martin said Monday as he readied for practice after school. "Everybody was looking at me, talking about what I didn't have. I felt like a clown. I hated it. I just wanted to know why it was different this game than all the rest."
Dennis Daly, the officials' crew chief who announced the decision, wouldn't discuss the matter Monday night: "I have no comment. Talk to the Ohio High School Athletic Association."
Colonel White Athletics Director Carolyn Woodley and Jonas Smith, Dayton Public Schools AD, did Monday.
"Sometimes common sense has to prevail," Woodley said. "The doctors have said it's OK for Bobby to play, so have his parents, and he has the necessary grades. That's all he needs. Officials at the first three games had no problems. The way he was denied Friday, I thought it might be some kind of violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act."
Hank Zaborniak, an assistant OHSAA commissioner, talked to all parties involved Monday: "It's unfortunate this happened. The officials should have let him play. There is a rule requiring shoes, thigh and knee pads, but I think it's fair to assume that means you have legs and feet. I talked to the official who made the call and he said he felt his crew might get in trouble if the young man got hurt. If they were going to err, they wanted it to be on the side of safety.
"We will provide Colonel White with a letter that says he's cleared to play."
Martin got in for just one play in the first half Friday — he's part of the punt return team — but the half-time decision to keep him on the sidelines seemed to stir everyone.
"I felt bad about it," said Mount Healthy AD Tina Tuck. As it turned out, Martin's presence was felt in the second half. Colonel White had been dominated in the first half and trailed 28-0. Once the players found out Martin was being denied, they got so worked up they played Mount Healthy even in the second half, scoring 12 points to the Owls' 13.
"Bobby carried our guys along," said Cougars assistant coach Tyrone Thornton.
On a night when he was denied, the kid with no legs managed to give his team fresh legs.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Legless player revels in national spotlight
DAYTON | On Wednesday, Bobby Martin did an interview with USA Today and talked to producers at Good Morning America. Today, he'll call back ESPN and CNN.
After that, other state and national radio, newspaper and TV reporters await. But the Colonel White High School senior football player would like to share his story with one other media giant.
"I wouldn't mind going on Oprah," Martin said. "She has a good show. I watch her."
Born without legs, Martin gained attention this season for some limited varsity playing time.
He received more attention when an officiating crew in Cincinnati mistakenly didn't allow him to play in the second half against Mount Healthy this past Friday. The state athletic association said Martin needs no special waiver but sent a letter to Dayton Public Schools stating that Martin is eligible.
Martin said he was told the USA Today article would be in Friday's edition. He said he likely will fly to New York in the next two weeks to be on Good Morning America.
Despite misplacing his cell phone, Martin is fielding requests from everywhere. He said he's glad his story is expanding.
"I like it," Martin said Wednesday while watching Colonel White's freshman football team play at Belmont. "I want people to know more about me — not just locally, but nationally."
His message will be clear.
"If they see me somewhere, don't look like I'm strange or something, just know a little bit about me," Martin said. "Just look at me as a normal person, a regular person, knowing that I have no legs, but just don't see that in me."
Sudden fame, if only fleeting, is something Bobby's mother said he will enjoy.
"He's a ham, especially when it comes to people paying attention to him," said his mother, Gloria. She then laughed and said, "I guess he's handling it all right. I hope he doesn't get the big head."
By Wednesday, Martin's story was a hot topic on WLW-AM (700). Many callers were inspired by his effort. But host Andy Furman said he felt Martin shouldn't play and called it a "freak show."
Told that, Martin tried to call WLW. The phone line was busy several times and no one answered when it rang.
"Mmmm, I'll prove 'em wrong," Martin said. "Come watch me play Saturday."
Colonel White plays Belmont at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Welcome Stadium.
While he plays sparingly on varsity — he did have two late tackles against Valley View in Week 1 — Martin is a regular in junior varsity games. Colonel White assistant coach Kerry Ivy said Martin had four solo tackles and seven overall (Martin estimated 10) in a recent junior varsity game.
"They were trying to say (on radio) that he's making a mockery of the game," Ivy said. "One thing about it, he's not doing that. If you come out there and watch him play, he's out there to make plays. He makes plays better than a lot of guys with two feet."
Gloria said most people in Dayton know her son's circumstances. When they go outside of the city, that's when the stares come.
"One time I took him to Kings Island and they wouldn't let him ride any rides," Martin's mother said of a trip six years ago. "Things like that, you get sort of used to it after 17 years."
Not surprisingly, Colonel White head football coach Earl White is more concerned about his team's unsatisfactory 1-3 record than Martin's fame. But the coach said the saga is not a distraction. He said it's a story worth national attention because Martin is playing a mainstream sport under amazing circumstances.
"Bobby will be an inspiration to all other disabled kids," he said. "And to all kids for that matter."
Being compared to all other players is what Martin likes. He'll share those thoughts with all the media outlets he talks to.
"I'm a normal kid," Martin said. "I don't want anybody to feel any remorse for me."