There are times when Brandon's daunting predicament is tougher to accept than others.

  This week has been one of the challenging weeks.

  Brandon has attended special-education classes since he was 3 and he will do so until he's 26, so it's easy to lose sight of what grade he would be in if he attended regular classes.

  But the other day, while interviewing a couple of Canton football players for a story, it dawned on me that in a perfect world these young men would have been Brandon's teammates.

  And Brandon, whose older brother Erik attended Canton, would have been a junior on the Chiefs' football team this fall.

  How do I know he would have played football? Let's just say it's in his DNA.

  I loved football so much when I was a kid, I'd fall asleep with a football in my arms, a box of football cards tucked under my bed and the Monday Night Football game flickering on my black-and-white TV set.

  Erik played from the time he was 9 all the way through his senior season at Canton and my 8-year-old son, Ben, would have rather stopped eating than miss practices for the Plymouth-Canton Steelers the past two years.

  With the fearlessness and courage he has displayed while fighting these relentless seizures over the years -- and with the strength he has shown while easily pushing 200-pound-plus couches in search of his beloved Lego's -- I'm guessing Brandon would have been a linebacker like his older brother.

  He may not have been a starter this season, but I'm confident he would have been a force to be reckoned with on the scout team.

  I write this column not as a plea for pity, but as an offering of inspiration, especially to members of Canton's football team, the kids who would have been Brandon's teammates.

  Brandon may not be blocking for you, running behind you or assisting you in a tackle. He may not be your teammate, but in a unique kind of way he is one of you.

  And, like you, he is a warrior.

  So whenever you need a shot of inspiration, if your back is against the wall, feel free to draw some inspiration from the fight Brandon has waged against a relentless opponent the past 16 years.

  I know in my heart that would make the 63rd Chief proud.

  Ed Wright can be reached at info@plymouthcantonsports.com or (734) 453-1980.