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Meet Jake Olson - USC long snapper

by: GarryP09/16/15

No.       Name                                         Pos.          Hgt.       Wgt.      Birthday      Cl.(Ath/Ac)    Exp.       Hometown(HighSchool/JC/College)

61         Jake Olson                                SNP          6-4         195        3/26/97        Fr./Fr.              —             Huntington Beach, CA (Orange Lutheran)

OLSON—

2015:  Olson, who has been an inspiration to and involved with the USC football program since the age of 12 in 2009 when he lost his eyesight to cancer, will serve as a reserve walk-on long snapper as a first-year freshman in 2015.  USC will prevent contact during any practice drills in which he is involved to make sure he is protected.

HIGH SCHOOL:  Olson was a long-snapper at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High as a junior and senior in 2013 and 2014, guided onto the field and positioned over the ball by a teammate.  Current Trojan Conner Sullivan also prepped at Orange Lutheran.

He also played golf at Orange Lutheran (he usually shot in the 80s).

PERSONAL:  Olson was born with retinoblastoma, a cancer of the retina.  He lost his left eye when he was 10 months old and, despite numerous procedures on his other eye, he had his right eye removed when he was 12 in 2009 (he spent the day before his 2009 surgery at a USC football practice).  He is a motivational speaker and has co-authored 2 books about overcoming adversity.  His story has been chronicled nationally, including several ESPN stories.  He received a scholarship to attend USC from Swim With Mike’s Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund (because that scholarship is regarded as athletic aid, USC sought and received a waiver from the NCAA so that he did not count against the Trojans’ NCAA-mandated 85 scholarship roster limit).  He uses a guide dog named Quebec.

Jake Olson with Reid Budrovich

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