advertisement

Crowning achievement from an Antioch football program that cares

Standing on Antioch's new artificial turf, with his little noggin buried in a football helmet so large that it gave him the look of a real-life bobblehead, Harrison Victor heard only, "Trusky!"

And with that, after Antioch football coach Brian Glashagel barked out the name of senior outside linebacker Dale Trusky III to accommodate an interview request, li'l Harrison Victor immediately pulled off his signature-decorated silver Antioch helmet.

"I know where Trusky is (on the helmet)," the kid, who sported an excessively too-large maroon Antioch jersey that read "Victor 11" on the back, said excitedly. It hung on him like a king's robe. Which seemed appropriate since he received the royal treatment all night.

If Harrison Victor can find a ball carrier in a pile as quickly as he can locate a signature on a helmet filled with signatures, he's going to be a heck of a linebacker someday. Maybe better than Dale Trusky. Maybe better than Chicago Bear Shea McClellin, an acquaintance of Glashagel, who was in attendance at this high school game in northern Lake County.

Harrison scanned his helmet and, within seconds, found Trusky's autograph.

"It really means a lot to us that he came out," Trusky said to Harrison's dad, Jon, after Antioch's 30-6 win over Moline last Friday night. "It made all of our weeks. We really hope we made his day."

Harrison Victor needs good days. When you're a 6-year-old battling a serious illness, you've been robbed of good days.

Shortly after his fourth birthday, Harrison was diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). It's so rare, Jon Victor says, that only 1 in 250,000 people get it.

"It's either an immune-system disorder or a rare cancer," Jon Victor said. "They're still kind of deciding what it is."

In the meantime, Harrison keeps being a kid, spunky as ever. He loves football. He plays football. So, a friend of Harrison's mother suggested that she and her family reach out to "Coach Glass" and the Antioch football program, since the Victors live in Antioch.

"When I got the phone call, I didn't know what to say," Glashagel said. "I got emotional about it. I got emotional about it all week."

Glashagel is your typical football coach. Fiery. A big man with a husky voice. Rarely is he at a loss for words or decibels. But he has a son, Cam, who turns 1 this week. And when Glashagel realized how privileged he and his players would be to potentially bring some joy to a young fan who needs it ... well, whose eyes wouldn't get a little moist?

Antioch's football team invited Harrison out to meet the team, Every player autographed a helmet that the Sequoits gave him. Harrison made he sure he brought it to the game. He enjoyed a pregame meal with the team, ran onto the field with the players for their pregame warm-up, walked out to the 50-yard line with Antioch captains Matt Adams, Jacob Cloe, Griffin Hill and Ben Hermes for the coin toss. Harrison watched the game from the sideline. He met an NFL player, McClellin.

(Not sure who asked whom for football pointers).

At game's end, after Antioch's coaches shared their thoughts on the game with their players at midfield, it was time for a "Victor-y" formation. The team took a photo with Harrison, who as Trusky said to Harrison's dad, is considered part of the family.

Talk about a winning night.

"I'm really proud of our guys for the way they reacted (and embraced Harrison)," Glashagel said. "It was awesome."

This is more awesome.

"He's doing really good," Jon Victor said of his son. "He's really healthy."

Harrison's smile could have told you that.

jaguilar@dailyherald.com

• Follow Joe on Twitter: @JoeAguilar64

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.