Yeah - you read that right. Former Chiefs' running back that terrorized the NFL with his skills through out the late 2000s and early 2010s is also a former special olympics athlete. I thought I knew a lot about ball. And about the athletes who played ball. But apparently since I didn't even know one of the greatest running backs of the past 20 years was a Special Olympian, I don't know ball at all.
You all are probably wondering the same thing I was when I first saw this headline a couple of days ago, "How the fuck does Jamaal Charles qualify for the special olympics?", well the answer is pretty simple.
Learning disabilities.
I was absolutely shell-shocked to find out athletes with learning disabilities are able to participate in the Special Olympics.
Before we dig into this any deeper I would just like to say the Special Olympics is a great cause, and the athletes are all talented as hell and could probably beat me in most athletic activities.
Now that that's out of the way, who the hell is in charge of permitting which athletes get to participate in the Special Olympics? This man is 2x first team all pro, a 4x pro bowler, AND led the NFL in rushing touchdowns. He competed in the Special Olympics when he was just 10 years old, so I guess there was no way to tell of the athlete he would become. But that's why it's so important that the Special Olympics changes their process so that they can see the raw potential in some of these athletes.
All reports of Jamaal Charles competing in the Special Olympics say he either "thrived" or "dominated" in the track events. He often won these events and received a couple medals. Jamaal Charles described it in his own words, "When I competed in the Special Olympics, I found out just how fast I was. I stood high on the podium, getting the gold medal in track and field."
Now the question has to be asked - did Jamaal Charles peak to early athletically? This seems like a dumb question since he ended up playing Division 1 football, getting drafted into the NFL, and becoming a great running back. However he never helped his team win a Super Bowl. It seems as though he was only ever victorious when he was competing in the Special Olympics, with a learning disability which in no way whatsoever effected his physical capabilities.
PS - I will be watching "The Ringer" tonight. Look it up on IMDB if you don't know what it's about.
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