Inspiring: Senior team manager suits up, scores touchdown after game

This fall, for the fourth-straight year, Seymour High School football student manager Nick Anthony has spent as much time at Bulleit Stadium as the players.

At practices, Anthony provides water for the players, repairs equipment and helps with drills. At games, he makes sure everything is ready for the players and coaches.

But perhaps the highlight of his time as a manager was Oct. 12 at the end of the Owls’ final regular-season game against Madison. Seymour coach Jeff Richey got it OK’d through school officials and his assistant coaches and through Madison to allow Anthony to take a snap from quarterback Austin Sutton and run in for a touchdown.

Richey then witnessed the Seymour and Madison players swarming around Anthony in the end zone, giving him high-fives and hugs. Curt Nichols announced Anthony’s touchdown on the loudspeaker, and the crowd went wild.

“I heard the cheers, but I was so in the moment that I was like, ‘Yeah!’” Anthony said with a smile, pumping his fist.

“He’s been around us for four years, and one of his dreams was to get to dress for a football game,” Richey said. “Before the Madison game, on a Wednesday or Thursday night, I was sitting here thinking about the seniors and the fact that they are ready to leave and move on to other things, and I got to thinking about Nick and the fact that he had always wanted to play in a game.”

Richey talked to his assistant coaches, and they were on board with allowing Anthony to dress for the game, warm up with the team and be on the sidelines. Richey recalled seeing a similar video on YouTube where the visiting team got involved, and Madison coach Steve Fish was on board with it, too.

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