It's a story that could bring you to tears: A teenager with Down Syndrome scored his first career touchdown.
Patrick Myshrall, 17, signed up for St. Peter-Marian High's football team without letting his parents know. Despite his health condition, Myshrall showed great pride in being part of the Boston-area varsity team. That pride was on display last Friday in front of a packed crowd of 1,500 fans -- including his family.
WHDH-TV Boston reports Tom Henrickson, coach of St. Peter-Marian, made a secret deal with opposing coach Sean Mulcahy of Doherty High: If the game was a blowout either way, Myshrall would get into a game with the shot of scoring.
With 1:30 left in the game and St. Peter-Marian ahead 33-6, both teams called timeout and Myshrall entered
the game. A running play was called and the young man sprinted untouched into the end zone.
Coach Hendrickson told WHDH that "there wasn't a dry eye in the whole St. Peter's section."
Down Syndrome occurs in one in every 691 live births. There are more than 400,000 people living with Down syndrome in the United States, according to the National Association for Down Syndrome.
"Every coach will preach, 'We're a family, we're a family,'" said Henrickson. "Patrick makes that happen."
Former Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman, ex-Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi and comedian Denis Leary lead a pretty impressive list of notable St. Peter-Marian alumni.
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