Football Announcer Doesn't Need to See the Game to Call It

Birdville High senior doesn't let blindess stop her

Birdville High School senior Laurel Wheeler is living her dream of being a radio sports commentator by broadcasting her school’s football games.

But there’s one thing her listeners may not know.

"There's no way in the world they would have any idea that Laurel is not able to see what's going on," said her father, Larry, who announces the games with her.

Laurel, 17, has been blind since birth.

"I pick up things from a lot of different sources," she said. "Like the PA guy, for example, might say, 'So-and-so tackled by No. 45.' And if my dad hasn't said that, I'll say it."

Friday night, the father-daughter team broadcast the playoff game between the Birdville Hawks and the Denton Ryan Raiders.

“First down, Birdville Hawks!” she yelled enthusiastically into the microphone.

Laurel said it’s not hard for her to think of what to say even though she can’t see the action.

"When I hear my dad call a play, I understand everything that's gone on, so I can find something to say, you know?" she said.

Her father mostly handles the play-by-play, and she adds color and commentary.

"She faces a lot of challenges in life,” her father said. “But we're proud of the way that she overcomes them."

Laurel said she knows she is an inspiration to others.

"If people look at me and I have a disability and I'm leading a perfectly normal life, I think it inspires people that they can work hard, too," she said.

After graduating, Laurel plans to attend the University of Texas at Arlington and major in French and Russian.

She said she wants to be a government translator someday.

"There are things that I miss in life because I can't see,” Laurel said. “But that's okay. I can still do things that everyone else can do."

“She’s awesome,” Larry said. “It’s a blessing to be her dad.”

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