The QB’s vision is rated 20/200 and he cannot see well enough to drive a car. He was diagnosed in 2006 after teachers noticed his declining vision and his increasing difficulty with reading. Hit the jump to find out how he plays QB if he’s blind.
@WiL
While athleticism is obviously a key factor in determining success and failure at the quarterback position, the ability that separates the elite signal callers from the very good relates to information processing. Can a quarterback command the plays that his coaches have installed? Can he read the opposing defense before and after the snap in order to best execute those plays? With defenders charging for the QB on each snap there is slim margin for error.
In processing the myriad variables on the field, most quarterbacks rely strongly on their eyesight. But what if their sight was limited? Would it be impossible to play the position?
Just ask Rhett Gutierrez, a junior reserve quarterback for Standley Lake (Colo.) High School who has Stargardt disease. According to MD Support, Stargardt disease is a “severe form” of macular degeneration that begins in late childhood and eventually leads to legal blindness.
Neil H. Devlin of the Denver Post wrote in a recent article that Gutierrez’s vision is rated 20/200 and he cannot see well enough to drive a car. He was diagnosed in 2006 after teachers noticed his declining vision and his increasing difficulty with reading. He is not fully blind, but he has lost most of his sight.
And yet, he has his own Max Preps profile page on CBSSports.com.
How does he do it? Devlin writes that Gutierrez relies on knowledge of predetermined routes and handing the ball off to the running back. Now, he’s even learning the shotgun offense.
Amazingly, Gutierrez isn’t the only legally blind youngster to recently do something extraordinary in the sports world. Earlier this month, 15-year-old Doug Wells pitched a no-hitter for his Little League team. He said almost everything is blurry when he pitches, except for the catcher’s mitt.
