Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

NCAA FB

Jake Olson, USC's blind long-snapper, delivers flawless snap after touchdown

By Ryan Gaydos , Fox News
Published | Updated
0903 jake olson

USC Trojans long snapper Jake Olson (61), who is blind, conducts the Spirit of Troy marching band after snapping the extra point in the fourth quarter against the Western Michigan Broncos during a NCAA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. (Reuters/USA Today Sports)

The University of Southern California’s blind long-snapper, Jake Olson, delivered a flawless extra-point snap for the No. 4-ranked Trojans in their win over Western Michigan on Saturday.

Olson, a sophomore, took the field with about three minutes left to play for the Trojans and delivered the snap without any issues for a kick that put USC ahead of Western Michigan 49-31.

"I tried to suppress my emotions as much as I could because I have a job to do, and I wanted to make sure I got that done," Olson said after the game. "Then tonight I can look at videos and get all emotional over it. It was very special, hearing my name being called over the P.A. system."

USC head coach Clay Helton commended Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester for signing off on Olson’s debut.

"Very special moment for us with a very special guy at the end of the game," Helton told reporters. "I commend and I thank Coach Lester and the entire Western Michigan family for the honor of getting what I think is a very special person in Jake Olson in."

Olson lost his left eye to a rare form of retinal cancer when he was 10 months old, and he completely lost his eyesight in 2009 when he was 12 years old. He has been around USC’s program since Pete Carroll was the head coach of the Trojans.

He snapped for his high school team in Orange County, Calif., walking to the line with his hands on his teammates before taking care of his job. After enrolling at USC, he joined the Trojans in practice in 2015 on a special scholarship, repeatedly delivering strong snaps in workouts.

Helton said Olson will probably have more opportunities to play in the future.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ryan Gaydos is a homepage editor for foxnews.1eye.us. Follow him on Twitter @RyanGaydos.