By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
When the Missouri Western State University football team takes the field next Saturday, it will honor one young man from Kansas City.
14-year-old Julius Byers suffered an injury on the first play of his high school football career, which left him partially paralyzed. Byers dreamed of playing football at MoWest.
President Elizabeth Kennedy says Byers story caught her attention and others within the athletics department.
“When he was in 8th grade, because he’s a freshman now at high school, but when he was in 8th grade he actually came to MoWest for a visit day, and got to see us, got to learn about us, got to probably see our stadium and what not, and came home from that field trip telling his dad he was going to play football at Missouri Western,” Kennedy tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
Byers suffered his injury during a game against Lee’s Summit High School. Three fractures in his neck, a concussion, and an incomplete spinal cord injury that has left both of his arms paralyzed.
Kennedy says during next week’s game against Pittsburgh State, Byers will be at the game, serving as an honorary captain for the team
“He’ll have the opportunity to be on the field I believe, and it’s all about hey there are other people that care about you, people that you’ve not met, people that you just need to know are thinking of you and praying for you, and hoping that you have a good recovery,” Kennedy says. “And just sometimes offering hope in that regard can be very uplifting to people.”
Kennedy and head football coach Tyler Fenwick visited Byers and his family, gifting him with a jersey as well as surprising him with the honor of being named a captain.
Kennedy says they always talk at MoWest about being a family, and doing the right thing, and this is one of the ways they can prove it.
“We have tangible acts that we do to show people that we care,” Kennedy explains.
Kennedy says it was it was an amazing opportunity to show the family, they aren’t alone
“Sometimes in circumstances like this it can feel very isolating and very lonely for families like this is their own private journey,” Kennedy says. “But just to let them know that you have other people, people that don’t even know you, are pulling for you and rooting for you, and that should hopefully be some inspiration for everyone.”
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