For the past two years, a white line has separated 16-year-old Eiler Buck from his football teammates on the field. An eighth grader at Downing Middle School and captain of the C Team, Eiler spent each game on the sidelines, cheering for the Diamondbacks. He was always the first person the boys high-fived as they came out of the game. But on Tuesday, Oct. 22, everybody rooted for Eiler.

Until Eiler was 2 years old, doctors thought he might never walk. He was born with weak legs and clubbed feet, a foot deformity that left his feet rotated inwards. It appeared as though he would be walking on the tops of his feet, if he was able to get up at all. Eiler was also born with a brain malformation. As a result, his hands are weakened, his tongue is paralyzed and he is about two years behind his peers developmentally. Talking, eating and swallowing are all challenges. But for the past 16 years, Eiler has continued to break down barriers.

He pulled himself up at age 2, showing everyone he was determined to walk. After getting surgery to correct his feet, he took his first steps. Over the years, Eiler has endured 11 surgeries to help correct his feet, legs and other issues. He’s learned sign language to communicate with others and now walks, using crutches or a wheelchair for longer distances. He’s also acquired a passion for sports.

During school football games, Eiler loves watching his teammates tackle and score from the sidelines. Even though he tires easily standing with his crutches for so long, he never misses a game. He spends his free time playing Madden NFL 25 with his friends and enjoys working on his latest project – a poster of his favorite football team, the Arizona Cardinals. When he told his mom, Mary Beth Buck, he wanted to play in a game this season, she wasn’t going to stand in his way.

“He’s a very determined kid,” Mary Beth said. “He’s always worked hard. If there’s something that he wants, I never tell him no, and he goes for it.”

Throughout the season, Eiler exercised his throwing and catching skills and practiced walking with the ball. Mary Beth talked to head football coach Andrew Libby, asking if Eiler could get in a game. Libby then spoke with the Shadow Ridge Middle School coach, and they both agreed. At the next game, Eiler’s dream was going to become a reality.

*****

It was the night before the game. Libby sent out an email to parents encouraging people to come and cheer for Eiler. But the response they received was unlike anything Mary Beth had imagined.

“They got posters made, they made phone calls, they made sure people were there and they helped video,” Mary Beth said. “One ran out and had a special jersey made with his number. They had all the boys sign a football for him – all in less than 24 hours.”

Parents and students fill the stands. Signs supporting Eiler are scattered across the crowd. Many hold posters saying “Eiler: Heart of a Champion.” The boys on the team, however, have decided to show their support in a way only middle school boys can. They wave around posters with phrases like “Release the Beast” and “Eiler for Heisman.”

The Diamondbacks are up. Coach Libby calls Eiler into the game. The players get in position before the snap. A teammate hands the ball off to Eiler. He fumbles and falls on his first try. The play starts again. With the quarterback by his side, Eiler slowly moves his feet down the 40 yards to the end zone. His teammates block opposing players, making a path for Eiler. He picks up speed. The yard lines disappear beneath him – 40, 30, 20, 10. Cheers from both schools echo from the stands. When Eiler reaches the end zone, he slams the ball onto the grass, victorious. In the excitement, he falls to the ground, and the team surrounds him.

Eiler had just scored his first touchdown. Six points went up on the board.

“Every parent wants to see their kid score a touchdown, and he did,” Eiler’s father, Alex Buck, said.

By the end of the week, Eiler was all over the news. Local news stations interviewed the family, and the story ended up on stations like CNN and WFAA. The video of Eiler’s touchdown on YouTube has received over 16,000 views.

“I never knew people even saw Eiler on the sidelines,” Mary Beth said. “We went to every game to watch him stand on the sidelines…but people noticed him. People appreciated him.”

The following Friday at a Marcus football game, the appreciation continued. Eiler and his parents made their way to their seats. They had just reached the first step when the crowd broke out in applause. People got to their feet, clapping for Eiler.

“The outpouring from the community, the things people said…and to see him affect other people was really powerful,” Alex said.

The touchdown quickly became a conversation starter. Because he lacks the ability to speak, Eiler can’t start up conversations with his classmates easily.

“Now they had something to talk to him about,” Alex said. “It broke down that barrier.”
According to Mary Beth, how everybody came together and what each person got out of that day was what made the game so special.

“Some of the students that you least expected to be changed by the event were really touched by Eiler,” Mary Beth said. “One kid even said: ‘I thought this was kind of lame, but when I really thought about how every day is not easy for Eiler, for him to get to do this is a great thing. We take everything we have for granted.’”

*****

Eiler presses a button on a pump that distributes liquid nutrients into him through a tube that attaches directly to his stomach. He used to need help feeding himself, but now he can do it on his own. Helpers walk around the home, aiding the family in any way they can – making dinner or caring for one of Eiler’s older sisters. Eiler isn’t the only child in the family with disabilities.

Like Eiler, Adlaine Buck, who is now a senior at the school, has a brain malformation. She is unable to verbalize her needs and is mentally at the level of a 2 or 3-year-old. She uses some sign language to communicate words like “eat” or “movie.” Now almost 18, Adlaine continues working towards independence. She is in a special needs class at the school that focuses on life skills, but some tasks are still difficult.

“For Addy, if there’s a full milk jug, it’s going everywhere unless I’m there to help her pour,” Mary Beth said.

Despite their disabilities, the two treat each other like any siblings would.

“They are typical brother and sister,” Mary Beth said. “He teases her. She gets mad at him. She comes in for a kiss. He pushes her away.”

The two also have an older sister, former Marcus student Emmy Buck. Now a sophomore in college, Emmy is away from the family during the school year. But when she’s home during breaks, she spends time with and helps care for her brother and sister.

“She looks out for them,” Alex said. “She’s 20 years old, but she’ll still play dolls with her brother.”

Life for the Bucks is often stressful. Alex and Mary Beth juggle physical and speech therapy appoint-ments for their children, making lunches, handling bed and bath routines and being involved in outside activities

Since Adlaine began high school, Mary Beth has been involved with Circle of Friends. At the school, this group meets once a month so students can hang out with special needs students, playing games, making a music video or raising money for the annual Circle of Friends Prom. Mary Beth said she plans to stay involved with the group when Eiler attends the school.

“I feel like my presence at the school is necessary so that the teachers understand that I am interested in their education and I’m interested that they have a good social life at school,” Mary Beth said.

Alex is also involved with groups in the community. In addition to his job as a real estate developer, Alex is part of the Medical Center of Lewisville Board of Directors. He is also a Lifetime Member of the Lewisville Education Foundation and a member of Lewisville Rotary, an organization that raises funds for non-profit organizations like the Lewisville High School Circle of Friends.

“I grew up in this area,” Alex said. “We’ve been really blessed, and it’s just an opportunity to give back. The community has given our family so much.”

*****

Rows of football players gather in the locker room. It’s the day before the Mound Showdown, and head football coach Bryan Erwin has something to share with the team. He flips on the video of Eiler making a touchdown. The players watch as he makes his way down the field to the end zone, his teammates helping him every step of the way.

Then Eiler enters the locker room. Dressed in his Arizona Cardinals jersey, he sets down his crutches and walks to the front of the room with his dad. He’s nervous, but once he sees how happy he has made the team, his nerves fade away. He begins giving a speech, moving his hands and arms to communicate.

You are bigger and stronger and meaner. Beat Flower Mound. I love you.

The players stand up, clapping and cheering, pumped for the upcoming game. Eiler had become an inspiration to the team.

“We just felt motivated,” football player junior Creighton Barr said. “It touched me personally. I can’t imagine what he has to go through every day, and for him to be able to do that is just awesome.”

In addition to asking Eiler to give a speech to the team, Coach Erwin also made him honorary captain for the last game against Hebron. He walked onto the field for the coin toss and hung out on the sidelines with the rest of the team.

“Once again, I was amazed by the community…,” Mary Beth said. “All the boys on the team were trying to make playoffs, and they took a moment to give my son attention and appreciation.”

*****

Although the season is over, Eiler is not done with football yet. As an incoming freshman, he is considering pursuing band or football in high school. He is also considering joining a Miracle Football League for handicapped students led by Ryan Neufeld. His aspirations for the future also involve football. He talks about wanting to be a football coach, a policeman or an owner of a video game store.

“For him, I think the sky is the limit,” Mary Beth said. “There are different college-like programs available for him. I think he’ll be able to do a lot.”

Although raising two kids with special needs can be stressful, both parents agree their children are blessings.

“All you hope for is just someone to hold,” Alex said. “Their health or their mental capacities, those are just bonuses.”
Raising Eiler and Adlaine has also taught them patience. Reaching milestones takes longer for their children due to their disabilities. Whether it’s learning how to stand or learning how to hold a cup of water for the first time, each new achievement is a big one.

“They’re really big for everybody, but when you wait an extra three or four years, it’s really exciting,” Alex said.

In the Buck household, every milestone is a touchdown.