Patrick Yarber's Football Stadium Tour with "gun barrel vision"

In 2013, Pat Yarber accomplished something that was incredible. When he attended a college football game at the University of Idaho, he completed a years long quest to attend a home game at all 125 Division 1 (FBS) football stadiums. From The Big House, to The Shoe, The Swamp, Texas, USC and Oregon, he had been to them all. 

While this would be an interesting accomplishment, the real story is that Pat attended all of them while legally blind. He attended may of the games alone, relying on the kindness and compassion of others...complete strangers. From having to navigate airports and flights, to long walks to stadiums, severe weather and many other obstacles, he continued year after year. His quest started when a high school friend signed to be the kicker for hometown Vanderbilt University. Pat's first away game was at the University of Alabama. From that point forward, his love of college football solidified, he was hooked. 

Pat has very limited vision. He calls it "gun barrel vision" since he can only see approximately 20% of what is straight in front of him. He has no peripheral vison, meaning he cannot see anything on either side without turning his head. Think of navigating all the obstacles he has through the years, with very limited sight. 

In 2013, after an article in the local paper about Pat's quest, the story was picked up nationally. Articles were written in the Boston Globe, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Tennessean and many others. Those articles led to Pat being contacted by ESPN, which led to a feature story on College Gameday. The story was narrated by Tom Rinaldi, the top interviewer at ESPN. The show was live at the University of Alabama, where Pat's quest had begun over 30 years before. A link to the Gameday story is attached and you are encouraged to watch it. 

Pat's story is one of perseverance, determination and inspiration. Please leave a comment if you would like to have Pat on the show, so you can hear from the man behind the story. For any experienced or aspiring writers, Pat would like to have his full story written so it can be shared with others, particularly those facing disabilities. Please let JR know if you have interest in speaking directly with Pat regarding this endeavor. 

Written by Frank Ziegler