Teen With Limb Difference Captures NFL Star’s Attention With His Contagious Energy.

High School football player Colin Moore practices with his team.

Colin Moore didn’t choose to be born with a limb difference, but every day he chooses to excel in spite of it.

The 16-year-old high school junior in Delran, New Jersey was born without part of his right arm from the elbow down. Always athletic, he learned to compensate for his difference by becoming as fast and as strong as he could. As the starting center for his high school’s football team, all that hard work is paying off!

“I’ve always had to have a mind of steel, heart of gold, and just move forward no matter what,” Colin said.

That heart and soul is on full display both on and off the football field. Playing a position like center requires both upper and lower body strength, so the teen regularly works out and does intensive weight training.

“The only thing I really knew is that I’d have to work, double, triple, quadruple times hard as everybody else,” he explained, adding of his limb difference, “I make up for it with speed and strength.”

Colin is indeed both fast and strong. In fact, he recently cleaned 165 pounds at the gym, a new personal record!

Colin says he loves the game, and that he loves it even more when he can prove himself to people who doubt his capabilities. He has always wanted to play football, and he never lets anyone tell him what he can’t do.

The video of Colin cleaning 165 pounds somehow made its way around the web, and Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce saw it. He decided to record a special message of encouragement for the young athlete, which reporter Jamie Apody of WPVI-TV shared with him during an interview.

This is what Kelce had to say to Colin in the video:

“I just got done watching that video … you are an inspiration, brother. You are an inspiration to me … And I got to tell you, I think I speak on behalf of the rest of the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line… we would love to invite you down to training camp brother. I need to meet you. We need to meet you. We need that energy to rub off on us this year. It would be our honor for you to come by, Colin. Please. Love the way you work, love that energy. Keep on keeping on, brother.”

Colin was absolutely thrilled to be recognized by one of his NFL heroes! He plans to take Kelce up on his offer to attend practice and who knows? Maybe he’ll be suiting up with the Birds someday soon. Clearly, this young man can do just about anything when he sets his mind to it.

Share this story to celebrate this athlete’s hard work and positive expectations.

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