On October 18, 2002...
Illustration
On October 18, 2002, Jake Porter, 17, scored a touchdown in a game between McDermott (Ohio) Northwest High School and Waverly (Ohio) High School. It happened at Northwest High with five seconds left and Waverly leading, 42-0. In a 12-second, 49-yard run, Jake carried more than the ball. He carried a message — a message of sportsmanship, inclusion, generosity, and compassion.
Northwest Coach Dave Frantz had talked before the game with Waverly Coach Derek DeWitt about letting Jake take a snap and kneel with the ball. Jake, who was born with chromosomal fragile X syndrome, a common cause of mental retardation, had practiced with the team for three years, but hadn't played. He was a senior. It was his final game. On a video of the game, you see Jake's initial confusion, as he takes the handoff and looks for a safe spot to kneel. His teammates, the refs, even the players from Waverly, all point downfield. They point, they yell: "Run!” The Waverly defense parts and Jake runs, haltingly at first. At the 35-yard line, he slows and looks over his shoulder. Players from both teams follow behind. The crowd rises and roars. Jake doesn't look back again, not until he crosses the goal line, and there isn't a dry eye or a cynical heart in the stands.
"As I look back, I'm convinced, without a shadow of a doubt, that was an act of God,” said Coach DeWitt. "It took a child to deliver the message, to spread the word. Sometimes he uses the smallest tools to awaken people.” The story has drawn nationwide attention and there are even plans for a movie.
These high school students exemplified the all-embracing acceptance and love for others, especially the less fortunate, that James encourages in our text.
