Kahzin Daniels believes he can serve as an inspiration for children. The football player, who lost vision in one of his eyes when he was only 5, has been promoted to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ active roster.
Daniels, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Charleston in West Virginia, lost the use of his right eye when he ran into a pole while riding his scooter around the block near his grandmother’s home.
He called the experience traumatic, but that didn’t stop Daniels from excelling as a defensive player.
Daniels was named second-team NCAA Division II All-American in his senior season at Charleston. He played 40 games and finished his collegiate career with 161 tackles.
“I feel like my story serves as a huge inspiration for kids who are very impressionable,” Daniels said in a “Meet the Rookies” video segment for the Buccaneers.
“They see a superhero, and they say, ‘Oh, I want to be just like that superhero.’ For people with ‘disabilities’ and things like that, I’m just their voice for people to say ‘Kahzin Daniels has one eye and he’s doing great things, why can’t I do the same things?’”
Daniels was waived with an injury designation during the team’s final preseason roster cuts after he suffered a knee injury in August, which precluded him from returning to the Buccaneers until mid-October.
He was re-signed to the practice squad on October 17 and now has been promoted.
Linebackers Carl Nassib and Anthony Nelson were injured during Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, which prompted the team to promote Daniels and sign linebacker Sam Acho.
CNN’s Jill Martin contributed to this story.