LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - The Central Catholic High School football manager, who has been one of the most influential high schoolers in New England, turned into a highly-coveted recruit.
Michael “Mikey” Lane Jr., who is living with physical disabilities, was recruited by the University of Alabama.
“A lot of people have it worse than me, so I can’t really complain,” Lane said. “I’ve had 16 surgeries and a lot of other stuff, but being on this team helped me through it.”
Teammates say Lane has been an integral part of the team’s operation.
“He uplifts the morale everywhere he goes,” said one of Lane’s teammate and friend Ayden Pereira. “He’s always very supportive of me and I’m very supportive of him.”
“The breadth of people that he’s touched is just, I don’t think we even always realize it,” said the football manager’s mother, Kristi Lane.
University of Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien is a friend of the Lane family and encouraged Mikey Lane to consider Alabama for the next step in his football career.
“One of the best coaches of all time telling me he wants to have me…really cool feeling,” said Mikey Lane. “I just really didn’t believe my eyes when I met him and saw him.”
Lane’s ultimate goal in college is to become the primary student manager for Saban at Alabama.
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