ESPNHS honors 18 male teen athletes who are doing remarkable things on the field, in the classroom and in their communities. Click here to read about them.
Nothing's ever been easy for Anthony Bagliano.
He was born with Holt-Oram syndrome and as a result has severely underdeveloped arms and only seven fingers. But he's never used that as an excuse and doesn't want anyone to treat him differently than his classmates.
According to a Cleveland Plain-Dealer profile, Bagliano drives a car, loves playing Madden in addition to being a kicker for the Eastlake North (Eastlake, Ohio) football team. He can't kick long-distance field goals but is almost automatic on extra points.
If that wasn't enough, the 18-year-old also found the time to start a charity, Kicking for the Cure, to raise money for cancer research. It's a cause that hits close to home for Bagliano, whose father, along with the mother of one of his teammates, has cancer.
Eastlake North won its first five games of the season this past fall and finished the year 7-3. Bagliano's highlights included making eight extra points in a 62-14 win over Midpark (Berea, Ohio) and six extra points in a 42-0 triumph against Lakeside (Ashtabula, Ohio). Bagliano's contributions on and off the field while overcoming physical obstacles made him a semifinalist for the Inspireum Football Award, which celebrates athletes for inspiring their teammates and community.