Isaac Lufkin isn’t your average high school football player.
The 16-year-old Maine native was born without arms, but he hasn’t let that seemingly insurmountable barrier get in the way of his dreams. Lufkin serves as a kicker and a nose tackle for the Houlton (Maine) High School football team, inspiring teammates, coaches and even opponents along the way.
“I just like the contact,” Lufkin told the Bangor Daily News about why he loves playing football. “It’s something that’s fun, and I’m just happy being on the team anyplace as long as I can help.”
Lufkin certainly is doing just that. In a preseason game against John Bapst High School of Bangor, Lufkin made history by converting the first successful extra point in Houlton’s modern football history (the team brought back football as a varsity sport last season).
Lufkin tried using prosthetic limbs when he was younger but decided against them because he had become very good at using his feet and core to accomplish daily tasks. Indeed, the teenager is able to put on most of his pads by himself and only asks for help if he absolutely needs it.
“I use my feet for mostly everything,” Lufkin said. “Other people teach me to do things, too, and if I see something done, sometimes I try to do it in a way that works for me.”
It certainly seems to be working so far.
“His positive attitude is like an aura,” Lufkin’s teammate, Dolton Nason, told the Daily News. “He makes the best of every situation and that just kind of spreads around the team.”
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@STN_Sports
