Jun
24
Ennis football coach Harrell reveals he has MS | Dallas Morning News
Filed Under News, Personal Stories
Longtime Ennis football coach Sam Harrell said Wednesday that he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis four years ago but is just now telling anyone of his condition.
Harrell said he felt like he needed to address his health with his family, coaches and players because it has progressively worsened.
Harrell, 53, has led the Lions to 13 consecutive playoff appearances, three state championships (2000, 2001 and 2004) and is 148-46 in 15 seasons at Ennis.
“I have MS. It’s true. But I’m not quitting or retiring or anything else,” Harrell said. “I just have to be flexible with what I do, but nothing is going to change.”
Harrell said he was diagnosed with MS in 2005 and only his wife, Kathy, and their parents knew about his condition until April.
In April, Harrell told his three sons, Zac, an assistant football coach at Prosper; Graham, a record-setting quarterback who led Texas Tech to an 11-2 record last season; and Clark, an Abilene Christian quarterback.
Around May 1, as Ennis was going through spring drills, Harrell brought his team together and told his coaches and players.
“I told them tomorrow is not going to be any different than today,” Harrell said.
MS is a condition in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system. MS affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other. Life expectancy of MS patients is nearly the same as those unaffected.
Harrell said MS affects everyone differently, and he is taking medication for it. He said his balance, coordination and mobility have been affected.
“Heat is really a big factor in it. When you get hot, your mobility and coordination decreases, and most days I’m going to get up and get hot,” Harrell said. “It has continued to get worse, and I thought it was time to disclose it and make sure people understood why I couldn’t do some things that you should be able to do, like get outside and show them how to run routes. But coaching isn’t about demonstrating, it’s about teaching, so I just don’t worry about demonstrating.”
Harrell said that on hot days at practice the last few years, he’s coached from a golf cart.
“When it was really hot, I just couldn’t do some things,” Harrell said. “Now, I’ll be in a golf cart every day and not just on the really hot days. You just have to adapt.”
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