Deven Jackson will walk onto the field this weekend and play football.

A seemingly common act until you hear Deven’s story.

Two years ago, that prospect appeared impossible when Deven’s life drastically changed and any prospect at an athletic career seemed all but over when he lost both of his lower legs following a battle with meningitis.

But on Sunday, 10-year-old Deven will take the field in Halifax, Pa., for the West Perry Mustangs. It will mark the team’s fourth game of the season, all including Deven, who is believed to be the first person ever to play football at any level with two prosthetic legs.

To compete, Deven uses two carbon fiber running blades in his prosthetic legs. It’s the same equipment that allows him to play outside at recess and run around the neighborhood with his friends.

At first it took Deven more than two hours to attach his running blades and dress for football practice. That prep time has dropped to about an hour as he learns more about his legs and gets better through repetition.

“It’s remarkable, being that young, he understands all the parts of the prostheses,” said Dave Bickel, assistant commissioner and director of waivers for the CFA Football League that Deven plays in, one of more than 5,500 Heads Up Football leagues across the country. “He insists on putting it on himself. He says, ‘I need to know how to do this.’ He understands if there’s a problem (with the equipment), he’ll take himself out.”

Deven was cleared by doctors in July to play tackle football, the doctors assuring the league that he would not be a danger to himself or others.

Always an active child, according to his mother, Deven played baseball and wrestling in addition to football before the illness. It wasn’t long after his surgeries to remove the dead bone that Deven wanted to return to sports.

“He has always had an amazing attitude,” said his mother, Michelle Jackson. “It’s what has kept us going. He’s always positive, always has a smile on his face.”

Determination has always come naturally to Deven, even in the face of tremendous adversity.

One Friday night after football practice in 2012, Deven complained that his throat hurt. No other symptoms appeared, so his mom chalked it up to a mild case of strep throat. The next day, however, he came down with a 105-degree fever and became lethargic. By the time he got to the doctor’s office, he could barely walk, and his body was starting to shut down.

His parents rushed him to the Hershey Medical Center. A few hours later, he had a pink and purple rash on his chest, and his legs were black from the knees down.

“We were devastated. He was always so active and now he was losing his legs,” his mother said. “How were we gonna tell him? It was the worst day of my life, like a nightmare I wasn’t waking up from.”

But Deven never wavered in his goals, which included returning to his team.

“That’s what he was saying from Day 1: ‘I’m gonna play football again,’” his mother said.

On Labor Day weekend in 2013, Deven and his family attended Camp No Limits in Maryland, where they drew inspiration from others in similar situations. They have been regulars since at the camp, where Deven works with specialists and meets other children learning to play sports with disabilities.

“It was really a breath of fresh air for all of us,” Michelle said, “to talk about what happened to him and how other kids handled it. Life didn’t end because Deven lost his legs.” 

This summer, he spent three hours per week learning how to walk and run with his new blades. The blades are only about half the weight of his normal walking prosthetics, but they are still heavy, making it difficult for Deven to maintain his balance and maximize his speed.

“Before, he was one of the fastest kids on the team. That was him,” his mother said. “When they ran the 40-yard dash at practice, he was always one of the first three or so to finish, now he’s in the last one or two.”

Bickel has worked to try to improve Deven’s mobility in his new blades. He and Deven’s father, David, have adjusted the blades by making them lighter and adding cleats to the bottom to give him traction.

“I had tears in my eyes working on them,” Bickel said. “That’s his foot I’m putting together.”

As Deven’s body grows, he will need new blades every six to 12 months specifically modified to fit his body. Bickel said each set of blades costs about $10,000. He is hoping to raise enough money so Deven can keep playing football as he gets older.

“He just handles it. It is what it is to him,” his mother said. “That’s what has been so amazing. I can’t even sit there and feel bad for him when he’s just carrying on. He works so hard and doesn’t give up. … It’s so exciting every time he’s out there. I didn’t think it would ever happen.”

“Children like Deven are remarkable individuals who through pure heart and determination and with a little help from others can overcome any boundary or obstacle placed in front of them,” said A. Joseph Cribari, commissioner of the CFA Football League.

Deven’s story has inspired others not only in his Eastern Pennsylvania hometown but across the nation as well. He recently received a visit from former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow for a story featured Monday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Tebow spent an afternoon with Deven and his family, playing catch in the yard before Tebow drove him to practice and spoke to his team.

Tebow also signed a few footballs, which will be available in an online auction, with all proceeds going toward purchasing new running blades for Deven.

Like all boys his age, Deven hopes to keep playing as long as he can. His position has been middle linebacker, but he is starting to make the transition to wide receiver, the position of his favorite NFL player, Victor Cruz. 

Deven has something else in common with his Cruz: They are both family men. While Cruz does his patented salsa dance touchdown celebration in memory of his late grandmother, Deven wears the No. 29 to honor his mom, who wore the number as a high school softball player.

The league retired Deven’s number during the 2012 season, thinking then that he would probably not be able to play football again.

It’s time to bring back No. 29.

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If you would like to contribute to Deven’s continued pursuit of playing football, you can donate to the Deven Jackson Football Fund via PayPal. Contact devenjacksonfund@aol.com or the main branch of the Bank of Landisburg for more information.

Bank of Landisburg

P.O. Box 60

5125 Spring Road

Shermans Dale, PA 17090