Cortland Hale lives in Snellville, Georgia near Atlanta. He has autism and played football for the Brookwood High School varsity football team during the 2007-2008 seasons. Cortland Hale is an Autism Light because he excelled in high school football and also encourages other special needs children that they can one day play sports if they work hard.
He was a 6 foot 3, 270 pound starting Defensive Tackle for the Brookwood Broncos in 2007-2008. Because of his autism He did not speak until he was age 9 when he started playing football. Cortland said about his football experience, "When I started playing it just changed the way, you know, it helped me socially and just really gave me the confidence to say, I can do anything."
One of the honors he received for his playing high school football in 2008 was being named Honorable Mention for a Defensive Tackle by the Gwinnett County Touchdown Club. This website has the high school information on Cortland Hale. The following is a news story featuring Cortland Hale's story.
Boot Camps wrote a story on Cortland Hale using football and his faith to overcome his shyness that can be found at this link. At the end of his senior year in high school he hosted a Walk for Autism in May, 2009. Here is a video of a news story on that walk.
Cortland Hale Today: After finishing high school Cortland Hale went on to study at Georgia Gwinnett College. He continues to be a regular speaker to diverse audiences on behalf of autism. According to his Facebook page, during the month of November, 2011 he spoke to college students at Georgia Gwinett College who are preparing to be special education teachers and also spoke to the Mountain View Football team about autism.
Social Media: You can follow Cortland Hale at the following social media.
Special thanks to Cortland Hale for being an Autism Light on behalf of all those young people with autism that need encouragement to overcome their struggles. They too may find help through sports. Anything is possible.
Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.
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