Overcoming adversity

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This article was published 10/09/2022 (1097 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

J.T. Hassell brings an NFL resumé and an inspiring story to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The team’s newest defensive back, a former member of the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, has a birth defect. When he was in his mother’s womb, the blood vessels in Hassell’s left hand burst, leading to him being born with just two fingers on that hand.

The 27-year-old from Titusville, Fla., has been counted out and overlooked time and time again because of it, but he hasn’t let it stop him from making it in professional football.

“I’ve had to prove myself my whole life, but that’s what made me the person I am today,” Hassell told reporters after Friday’s walkthrough at IG Field.

“I don’t think if my hand wasn’t like this that I’d be the person that I am today. So, I’m thankful for it. It’s a blessing in disguise.”

Hassell, who was signed to the practice roster at the beginning of the week, will make his CFL debut in Saturday’s Banjo Bowl against the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders on special teams. He’s been waiting for another chance since the Jets cut him on Aug. 31, 2021. Hassell stated several times how thankful he was that the Bombers called and offered him a contract after a year of sitting at home.

The fact that he gets to dress almost immediately after signing is a huge bonus, and something that doesn’t typically happen with CFL newcomers.

“They believe in me. I’m coming here and they’re already set and have everything going. I’m doing my best to fit into their program. I don’t want to come here and be any type of distraction,” Hassell said.

“I just want to show them that I’m a hard worker. I’m here for the team. Whatever they need me to do, like I’m out there running routes on scout team. Whatever they need me to do, I want to do that and be a team player and help the team win.”

Hassell started out at South Dakota State, starting 14 games as a true freshman, before transferring to NCAA Div. II program Florida Tech to be closer to home. He had 124 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles as a senior and was named the Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Year. It wasn’t enough to hear his name at the NFL Draft, but he did end up making the Browns in 2019 and suited up in four regular season games.

Hassell is the first player from Florida Tech to make it to the NFL, and likely the last, as the school got rid of its football program when the pandemic hit, and hasn’t brought it back since.

The next season, Hassell would spend a week on the New England Patriots’ practice squad before playing three games with the Jets. He made the biggest play of his NFL career on Dec. 20, 2020, when he blocked a punt in the second quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Reaching the NFL is an incredible feat for anyone, let alone someone who comes from a single-parent home, attended a small school, and has a physical disadvantage.

“I’ve learned that life in general, you have to learn to adjust. Everybody, whether it’s physical or mental, we all have problems. But it’s all about how you adjust with your problems,” Hassell said.

“Obviously, I had to work harder than everybody else cause of my disability. But you know, at the end of the day, it’s just my hard work and my faith in God.”

He started a non-profit organization called the Hassell Foundation as a way to use his story to help others. He runs football camps and travels to different schools to do motivational speaking while putting a strong emphasis on the importance of mental health.

“It’s really just hard work, man. That’s for all the kids out there that are gonna go through a similar situation or an even worse situation,” Hassell said.

“We all go through stuff, but it’s just perseverance and dedication and hard work. That’s how I made it to this point.”

Hassell’s hard work, especially on special teams, is what caught the Bombers’ attention. Head coach Mike O’Shea has been impressed by how much effort Hassell has put in to learning the Canadian game in his first week here. O’Shea also added that he hasn’t spoken to Hassell about his hand.

“You talk to coaches that he had in the NFL and they talked about special teams and what he can do. That’s what we’re looking for right away, somebody that understands that part of the game. I know there are some nuances to the Canadian game, compared to the American game, but he’s certainly a very sharp guy,” O’Shea said.

“His first bunch of hours at the stadium, he was not prepared to leave. He was looking for more information, watching more film and looking to figure this out very quickly. It looks like he has.”

It’s been a strong first impression both ways. Hassell couldn’t be happier to be in Winnipeg.

“Everybody here was so welcoming to me and I felt like I was one of them. I’ve been smiling and laughing since I got here,” he said.

“I’ve been on teams, even within the NFL, the high school, and college level where you walk in the locker room and everybody’s mad, there’s a lot of stress, and there’s a whole bunch of business and stuff going on. But here, I feel like I can be free and be myself and I love that because that’s what the sport is all about it.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

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