Hansel Enmanuel paused for a moment and then reached for his left leg. “I’m going to show you something I haven’t shown nobody,” he said, slowly lifting the leg of his sweatpants until the leg is exposed to the thigh.
He was hospitalized for about six months. It was a dark time for Enmanuel and his family.
“I was like, never mind, I’m going to start,” he said. “I told myself let me try. I was trying. Then I made it. I tied my shoes. So, I was excited. Excited like crazy.”His missing arm left him lacking balance. With his equilibrium off, every time he tried to run, he’d crash to the ground, falling on debris strewn across the makeshift courts he played on. The scars piled up. So did his confidence gained from experience.
It wasn’t the highlight-reel plays that piqued Northwestern State coach Corey Gipson’s interest. He liked his attitude and the way he carried himself on the court. Gipson, who is also in his first year at Northwestern State, shared a story from early in camp that perfectly illustrated that point. When a player makes a mistake in practice, Gipson makes them do fingertip pushups. Gipson told Enmanuel to do them after a miscue, then immediately felt bad and said he could do sit-ups instead.As he struggled to complete the task, Garrett sprang into action, grabbing his midsection to help.
Enmanuel seems to have fans everywhere he goes, often young boys and girls who’ve watched his highlights on the internet for years.