Physical disability might slow down Burnet football player, but it won’t stop him

JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE EDITOR

BURNET — Spectators don’t know what Burnet High School senior football player Jacob Holland has to do to get ready to enter a contest.

Just by watching him, they aren’t able to see the amount of stretching he does, which is much more than his teammates.

They don’t know the number of surgeries he has had to endure to be able to walk or the amount of time he spends in the trainer’s room before and after practices and games.

And he doesn’t tell them he has a physical therapist in Round Rock who he uses to help him do everyday activities a lot of people take for granted.

Most fans simply see the same thing: a determined Bulldog who is trying to make a play for his team.

And that’s how Holland likes it.

“I love playing football here in Burnet, it’s everything I’ve ever wanted,” he said. “Doctors said I would never play football. My deal is I just want to prove them wrong.”

Holland was born with bilateral club feet, which means his feet turned inward. It’s hereditary, and he had his final surgery before he was in the second grade. His father, Matthew, was in the service, so he lived in Germany. He returned to the United States when he was 4. His mother is Clarissa Holland.

Though the disability is not life threatening, the Bulldog said participating in sports is a challenge.

“It’s hard for me to run,” he said. “Doctors were going to amputate below the knee, but I’ve had to work through a lot. It’s very hard on the muscles. My scar tissue and the tendons aren’t supposed to stretch. I’m not able to squat fully, but I do my best.”

He has suffered scar tissue breakage and injuries to his ankles and legs.

As a result, he has gotten to know the medical staff at Burnet High School well, he said. He does different forms of stretching, which include a foam roller to get rid of tightness in calves and a pin-and-motion-release movement administered by a therapist in Round Rock.

“Just a bunch of stuff,” he said with a smile, “a ton of stretching.”

In addition to playing football, Holland also golfs. Last season, he was voted the Bulldogs’ most improved golfer, and he has worked at Delaware Springs Municipal Golf Course for two years.

And just like the pros and college golfers, high school students must walk the course during tournaments for all 18 holes per round.

“Walking the course usually hurts my calves a little bit,” he said. “I love playing.”

His scores, he said, are “not anything to brag about. When I first started, my first tournament was horrendous. It was a 118. Then I dropped 30 strokes throughout the season.”

Playing the two sports has taught him patience, which, in turn, has helped him have more productive practices because he doesn’t mind repeating the same drills over and over again.

He’s already been accepted to Texas Tech University, where he plans to major in history and become a coach. If that doesn’t work out, he’s leaning toward pre-law.

Holland admits it’s a challenge to be an athlete, not only because of his bilateral club feet but also because of the standards and traditions that come with wearing kelly green and white.

“I get through it,” he said. “I love playing for this team. I love playing for Burnet. Sports have always been my forte.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com