It's not easy to get Ethan Monsey to talk about his achievements.
The eighth grader from Lampasas, Texas, plays defense in football. Last season, he snatched an interception and ran the ball back for a touchdown, sprinting past his opponents despite having no feet.
"Yeah, [the other team] is surprised sometimes," Ethan said as he smiled.
Born without feet and one hand, the 13-year-old is breaking tackles and expectations.
"I love it. It's just what it's all about," said Dr. Tony Herring with Texas Scottish Rite, where Ethan has received care since he was born.
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth joined Ethan for one of his regular visits to the Dallas hospital, where he goes at least twice a year to have his prosthetics adjusted. He prefers specialized blades to help him run. It's what he used when training on his school's obstacle course.
When Ethan is not playing, he is training. In video shot by his classmates at Lampasas ISD, Ethan is seen scaling monkey bars with one hand and weaving through an obstacle course faster than his peers.
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While his activity shocks opponents, it comes as no surprise to his medical team.
"If you give them opportunities they just take off. They figure out how to do everything," Dr. Herring said. "So things you think would be totally impossible they master very quickly."
Ethan has stunned his coaches. He's won 15 medals mostly for cross-country and track meets. It's not unusual for him to finish a long-distance race, then suit up and rush to football.
"In most cases [kids like Ethan] don't even realize the hurdles that they are overcoming. They are just being themselves and doing what they do normally," said Dwight Putnam, who crafts each of Ethan's prosthetics.
With never-ending energy there's no sport Ethan cannot play. The only expectations left are the ones he sets for himself.
Ethan hopes his story will inspire other kids to live their dreams. His lifetime goal is to play for the NFL, but he would be okay with being an Olympic runner.
"I would not say there's anything I could not do, because I really don't say 'I can't,'" he said. "Because I know I can."
