According to high school football player Kris Silbaugh, you don’t really need two hands to be a great receiver. The youngster, who was born without a left hand started playing pickup football with his buddies when he was just a kid and has now become one of the best ever at his high school. His first year of playing organized football came when he was 14 years old at Cambridge Springs high school in Pennsylvania. He made the varsity team even though he was just a freshman at the school.

Silbaugh said he was born with just a right hand due to a birth defect, but he’s never felt handicapped and has never let it stop him from enjoying his life. Silbaugh recently had his name entered in the record books at Cambridge Springs as he caught a 43-yard touchdown pass to improve his total receiving yards to 915. The record-breaking reception came in a 63-0 blowout against Saegertown High School of Pennsylvania. Silbaugh said he knew last year that he was getting close to the previous school record of 912 yards which was set I 1998, but then forgot all about it.

He said one of the team’s coaches reminded him of it at halftime against Saegertown and he was happy to have set a new mark. Silbaugh said he always wanted to play football, but was concerned what people may say about a one-handed player. He added that he didn’t want anybody to feel sorry for him or pity him. He remarked that he knew he would make a good receiver so he decided to try out for his school’s team. He said the former coach was a bit shocked after hearing he wanted to be a receiver.
Silbaugh, who can run the 40-yard dash in just 4.4 seconds, proved just how good he is during the tryouts and made the squad. He claims to gain a lot of confidence due to his speed since it means just about every pass to him is catchable. Cambridge Springs’ head coach Justin Grubbs is astounded by the young man’s ability and said, “It’s just amazing to see what Kris is able to do. He makes catches that you wouldn’t believe. He’s a guy that defenses have to have a game plan for and he’s just so fast.”

Football isn’t the only sport Silbaugh enjoys as he also competes in basketball and volleyball. He’s making quite a name for himself in some parts of America and mentioned that he’s been contacted by a few colleges already. However, he said his main concern at the moment is to help his high school football team as much as he possibly can. He’s also in reach of another record as the school’s high mark for receptions during a career is 57 and he’s currently sitting at 38.