COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Northwest senior linebacker Kaleb Peters smiled when he jogged off the practice field on a mid-afternoon late last week.
The three-year starter has plenty of reasons for joy in his final high school football season. The Knights (2-0) have started well this season and play host to Ross (1-1) at 7 p.m. Friday.
“Football has been everything to me,” said Peters. “I played since I was 4 years old. Football has been everything. I live, love, breathe the sport.”
WATCH: Northwest linebacker Kaleb Peters perseveres on the football field
Peters, 17, has also persevered through the game. One of six team captains, Peters has beat the odds along that journey.
“I was born with amniotic band syndrome,” Peters said. “I was born without all my fingers. But, I have an arm. I don’t have a (left) hand so that’s kind of how it is.”
There are no hurdles for what Peters can do on the field. He is one of the Knights’ best tacklers. He’s received NCAA Division II college interest and will likely have an opportunity to play at the next level.
“He works his tail off every single day,” Northwest football coach Brandon Schon said. “You wouldn’t understand his work ethic until you watch him work just because it’s a different type of work. He doesn’t feel like anybody is different from him or anybody is better than him. He understands that he’s got to put the work in. He just leads by example all the time. It’s awesome to see every day.”
Peters has used critics as his fuel for his success on the field.
“A lot of people would tell me when I was younger that, ‘I would just stop,’” Peters said. “’I don’t know how you would do that. That’s crazy.’ I’ve told people it’s super motivating.”
Peters, who is also a star wrestler, inspires his teammates and coaches through his leadership in practice and on Friday nights.
“You wouldn’t understand his work ethic until you watch him work just because it’s a different type of work,” Schon said. “He doesn’t feel like anybody is different from him or anybody is better than him. He understands that he’s got to put the work in.”
Peters has excelled in the weight room. He worked his way back after three surgeries due to football injuries including his ankle his sophomore year and his shoulder and knee his junior year.
“He understands that he wants to leave this program better than he found it,” Schon said. “And he knows that starts with leading the young guys so they can continue the tradition that he’s trying to build. I think the most inspiring part is he’s never put limitations on himself."
Schon said Peters has an outlook that lifts others.
"Even in our scrimmage there was a time when I was getting down," Schon said. "I was like, 'Oh man we got to pick it up. He looked at me like, 'Coach you know we feed off your energy so you got to stay positive. His positive mindset no matter what he’s facing — he had two season-ending injuries his sophomore year and his junior year and he was ready to work as soon as he had surgery for both of them to get back. And I think his outlook on life and positivity that nothing he faces can slow him down. I think he’s inspired me to keep going because how hard he handles adversity.”
Peters takes a great deal of pride in representing Northwest on the field. He wants to create a significant legacy his final year of high school. He’s inspired by his mother, Ericka Bryant, on a daily basis.
“She pushes me every day to be better and to win every day and have a great mindset to be better than the man in the mirror,” Peters said.
