A varsity athlete with Down syndrome had an unforgettable moment under Friday night lights.
Peter Kuhn, a football player for Valley Regional High School in Connecticut, was recently given the opportunity to score a game-winning touchdown.
“I was ready!” Kuhn, 18, tells TODAY.com.
As fans chanted his name, the running back took a direct handoff and barreled 51-yards to the end zone, where he was mobbed by his teammates.
Kuhn’s younger brother Paul, 15, plays on the same team as his sibling, and felt emotional as he watched the scene unfold.
“To see Pete score a varsity touch down was pretty incredible,” Paul says. “He’s been talking about it for four years, and I was just so happy for him.”
“I was shocked,” Pete says.
The moment was orchestrated by both teams and their coaches, but that hardly diminished Pete’s victory.
“I’m proud of how I played,” Pete says. “I’m at practice every single day.”
Valley Regional head coach Hill Gbunblee describes Pete as the “heart and soul” of the football program.
“Pete’s not just a glorified member,” Gbunblee tells TODAY. “He’s out there hustling. He’s running drills. He’s in the gym conditioning. Pete is a part of everything we do. And he’s also our biggest cheerleader.”
Gbunblee says the touchdown was a way to highlight and celebrate the high school senior during his last season.
When Pete stepped onto the field, Gbunblee recalls how a swell of people moved down from the bleachers to get a better view.
“You could hear the roar of the crowd,” Gbunblee says. “Then Pete runs the play and everyone starts going insane. It was just about as good as it gets.”
As for what Pete will miss the most about being part of a football team, his mom Margaret has a hunch that it’s the community and… the spaghetti.