Yahoo Sports — When Devon Berry first asked his mother if he could play football, she predictably rejected the idea given that he’d have to do it on his hands and knees. That’s because Devon was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age three, a disease that impairs muscle coordination and balance most commonly occurring in children who are born prematurely.
Although he uses a walker and a wheelchair to get around, Berry persisted for his mother’s approval, and finally at the age of 12, he found himself strapping up football pads for Jackson, Georgia’s recreation league Red Devils. It was there that Berry found a renewed zest for life and realized that he could be an athlete.
“Having confidence is the start of having success, and in order to be something you have to do something,” Berry said recently via email.
Berry had clearly discovered his confidence and his success has grown ever since. So much so that he developed the ambition to become a three-sport athlete once he moved to nearby Hampton High School, taking up both basketball and wrestling in addition to his time spent on the football field. The wrestling mat is where Berry really excels. He’s got a scholarship waiting for him at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota for the 2016-17 school year.
