Central State University assistant football coach Henderson Mosley didn’t know 10-year-old Timmy Hayes very well when he invited the boy and his grandparents to attend a Marauders practice last year.

In fact, the coach had just met Hayes during a Special Olympics track and field competition at Central State. But from the way Hayes lit up when he discovered Mosley coached football, Central State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach extended the offer.

“I figured he’d just come to a practice, see the guys hitting, get excited and that would probably be it,” Mosley said.

Not so. By the coach’s own admission, it turned out to be much more, and not just to Hayes’ benefit, but to the benefit of the entire Central State football program.

Hayes was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth. His mother wasn’t given proper medical attention, and he flat-lined for about four minutes just after he was born, causing damage to his temporal lobes. As a result, he not only has cerebral palsy, one of the most common congenital disorders, but he also struggles with Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, which strikes only males and causes muscles to decrease in size and weaken. Most sufferers’ arms, legs and spines become progressively deformed, and the victims usually live only into their teens or early 20s. About two years ago, Hayes moved from a walker into a wheelchair.

After the first visit to practice, Hayes and his grandparents quickly became regulars. Hayes in fact attended every one that season in addition to several games, where he would occupy a spot just behind the team bench. His very presence was an inspiration to the student-athletes.

“When the guys see him, it equals hard work because that kid has been working his whole life to still be here,” said Mosley. “The players understand his story and what he’s gone through, so every time they see him, he’s their motivating factor to keep pushing themselves and to not complain about just any little thing.”

The Central State program has had to overcome challenges of its own. The 2005 season was its 50th overall, but the first since 1996 when the program was discontinued. Rich in tradition, with NAIA national championships in 1990, 1992 and 1995, the first action on the gridiron in nine years produced a record of just 1-5.

The way the entire football squad connected with Hayes surprised Mosley. They call him their football brother, and beyond the bond with each member of the team, Hayes has the gear — including a practice jersey, helmet and mouthpiece — to prove it.

Mosley assumed there would be a few who would take a liking to the youngster, but not all 70 of them. They even worked out a strategy to help Hayes, who was having trouble lifting his arms, strengthen his muscles. At the end of every practice, each player filed by Hayes asking him to give them a high five.

Said Mosley, “I’ve seen guys run past him, forget to give him a high five, get halfway to the facility and run back to give it to him. At one point, all of them wanted to see who could get him to lift his arm the highest. It’s always a competition, but this was a great competition for Timmy because it helped him. It was like his rehab.”

Mosley believes Hayes’ presence has not only encouraged a closer bond among members of the football team, but it also has provided an important lesson for the student-athletes: Appreciate each day and don’t take anything for granted — a difficult concept for young people to grasp.

“We just think it’s great for our kids. How could you complain when you come on the field and the kid is in a wheelchair and barely has control and movement of his limbs?” said Mosley.

Interestingly, Hayes has not only been adopted by the football program, but also by the entire university. He has appeared on the school’s Web site and in the institution’s newspaper. According to Mosley, even professors stop him on campus to inquire about Hayes. A local paper also wrote a story about the boy and his relationship with Mosley and the rest of the Central State football squad.

Looking forward, Mosley plans to expand the outreach that began with Hayes and extend the same opportunities and privileges to more children. Mosley has talked with four other kids who he hopes will join him, Hayes and the Marauders on the sidelines during the upcoming season.

“He’s been a pleasure. We appreciate him and we’re thankful for him to have come to practice,” said Mosley.