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When Jacob Tyree had a tumor removed from his spinal cord at age 10, his dad, Jerry, was worried that the apt athlete might never play sports again. Jerry Tyree even stopped coaching baseball. But six years later, the Glenvar High School junior's life has been quite the opposite-his Charlotte Rollin' Bobcats basketball team went 3-0 for their home tournament Nov. 8-9.

It all started with an invitation from one of the founders of Abilities Unlimited of the Carolinas, Inc., Dave Kiley. He met the Tyrees at the Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center at the University of Virginia, during the last part of Jacob's rehab that lasted almost a year.

Most people know Tyree as "the kid in the chair," but he's more than capable of holding his own. This October, he placed fourth in a shotgun competition, winning his own Remington 1100 Classic. He has placed first in archery for the National Junior Disability Competitions in 2007, and won several events in the 2006 track and field events for NJDC.

"I'm just like every other person except happier," said Jacob. He still has chores-picking up walnuts from the yard isn't a favorite, but he helps.

"We made adjustments to have him continue in sports," Jerry Tyree said. They drive to Charlotte, NC-almost a three hour ride-every Monday for Jacob's practices since there isn't a wheelchair league in the area. And when the guidance counselor meets with homerooms to go over resumes and accomplishments, Jacob has more than enough for any college application-nearly two pages full.

He'd like to play for either the University of Alabama or the University of Tennessee's wheelchair basketball team, and he wants to double-major in computer information technology and communications. He's got good reason: he takes computer classes at the Burton Center for Arts and Technology and he has public speaking experience of the big-fish kind. He spoke as the champion ambassador at a Children's Miracle Network dinner full of corporate sponsors at age 13.

Next weekend, Jacob will play in Winston-Salem with the Division III Bobcat's team with advanced youth and some adults. Click here to see a video of Jacob Tyree's basketball skills, and see more photos here from this past weekend's tournament.

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