A very special touchdown ... for a very special team

A very special touchdown ... for a very special team

Meet Harrison LaRose, football hero.

Last week, while playing for the South Ogden Jets of the Wasatch Football League, Harrison dazzled the crowd when he scooted into the end zone from about a yard away.

After achieving his objective, Harrison proudly spiked the ball and -- this is the important part -- was mobbed by teammates and opponents alike.

The place went nuts, and word has it there wasn't a dry eye within five miles.

See, 12-year-old Harrison is a special young man. And in addition to being special, he also has Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder.

Asperger's has presented some challenges for Harrison, but clearly it hasn't slowed him down.

Anyone who witnessed his touchdown run can attest to that.

"I'm not kidding, it was electrifying," said Carl Harwood, one of the Jets' coaches.

The whole thing happened late in an Oct. 3 game between South Ogden and North Summit. Well in control of the game, the Jets coaching staff decided it was time to get Harrison, who normally plays on the defensive line, his first touchdown.

Midway through the fourth quarter, South Ogden's quarterback was forced out of bounds near the 1-yard line, and it was time to go to work.

After spending time on the sidelines, getting coached on the finer points of taking a handoff and running to daylight, Harrison was ready. However, he and his quarterback had trouble with the exchange, and a few plays later, it was North Summit's ball once again.

Dejected, Harrison initially got down on himself. But thanks to some quick encouragement from his coaches and teammates, his focus returned.

After a defensive stop, the Jets' offense took over and again marched down to the 1. Time to go to work again, this time with only a minute or so remaining.

After a timeout and a brief meeting between coaches from both teams, Harrison took the ball and ran a sweep around the left side.

With excellent protection from his teammates, he scampered into the end zone, untouched.

And then, suddenly, everyone was touched. Touched by Harrison's elation; touched by the way his coaches were so determined to get him that TD; touched by the way the opposing coaches and players wanted to help.

And, of course, touched by the way Harrison's teammates rallied around him, and the way they all celebrated together, like a family.

"Our stands and the North Summit stands were all giving him a standing ovation," Haywood said. "There weren't many dry eyes in the whole stadium. In all my years of coaching, I think that would have to be the best thing I've ever been involved with."

"(Harrison) didn't really run or walk off the field," Harwood added. "I think he more or less floated to the sidelines."

Harrison agreed with his coach's assessment.

"I felt like I was on top of the world," he said.

Amazing, isn't it? In a little league football game, on a cool Saturday afternoon in Utah, a bunch of kids, their families and coaches -- from two different teams -- all came together to create an everlasting memory.

Years from now no one will remember the score of the game or any of the requisite statistics that so often seem so important.

But everyone will remember how they felt when Harrison scored that touchdown.

Harrison's dad, Ben, noted that, these days, youth sports often get a bad reputation, what with overbearing parents, overcompetitive coaches and kids who think "me" before "we."

However, on this occasion, none of that silliness came into play. Instead, there was sportsmanship, support and lots of smiles.

"These kids totally looked out for Harrison," he said. "They all came together and you could see how badly they wanted (the TD) to occur."

Let's face it. In a world where too often the goal line is the bottom line, stories like these are reaffirming and reassuring.

This particular story seems to have had an impact on hundreds of people along its path, but none more than a very special 12-year-old from South Ogden.

According to his mother, Cindy, Harrison hardly goes anywhere these days without his official team photo.

"First they were my teammates," he said. "Then they became my friends. Now they're like my family. I love them."

Meet the South Ogden Jets, football heroes.

Jim Burton is the Standard-Examiner's sports columnist. He also covers the Utah Jazz. He can be reached at (801) 625-4265 or at jburton@standard.net.