Football players come together to help coach with MS

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

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LEHI -- It can be tough to convince a group of kids to do yard work, but the Jordan High School football team spent five days finishing an entire yard -- all to help out one of their own.

Although multiple sclerosis can occur at any age, it most often begins between the ages of 20 and 40. Women are more likely to develop MS than men. -Mayo Clinic

It's no easy job, hauling patches of heavy grass in the hot summer sun, and it's not usually the way any teenager wants to spend the week. But football team was happy, even excited, to do it.

So what turned these Beetdiggers into "sod-layers?" The news that hit their team harder than their rival's defensive line.

"A couple months ago Coach Kjar was diagnosed with MS," explained wide receiver Ethan Jones.

Coach Eric Kjar has been battling bizarre symptoms for nearly two years, and now the diagnosis that he has multiple sclerosis.

Kjar, his wife, Andrea, and their four young children recently moved into a new home in Lehi. The clock was ticking down toward the homeowner's association deadline for yard completion, so the players and their parents decided they would give back to the man who they say has given so much to the boys on and off the field.

What is... multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially debilitating disease in which your body's immune system attacks its own tissues, eating away the protective sheath that covers your nerves. This sheath can be compared to the insulation on electrical wires. When damaged, communication between your brain and the rest of your body is hindered. Ultimately, this may result in deterioration of the nerves themselves, a process that's not reversible. Symptoms vary widely and can often come and go, depending on the amount of damage and which particular nerves are affected. People with severe cases of multiple sclerosis may lose the ability to walk or speak. -Mayo Clinic

"Coach Kjar is such a close part of our family. Our coach is always there for us, helping us out," said team captain Grant Garry.

"He's a great guy. He's taught me a lot," Jones said.

Alone, Andrea Kjar says laying the sod would have taken her husband months -- if he had the strength to do it at all -- but the boys banged it out in a week. It's something their coach taught them a lot about: teamwork.

"This is a miracle. I don't know what we would have done, honestly. It's just a blessing, a very great blessing," Andrea Kjar said.

Coach Kjar returned from a football trip Friday to a completed yard, and a team tightly bonded before the football season even starts.

This week, the team is at football camp. They say they're closer than ever and are looking forward to their first game, against Fremont.

E-mail: jstagg@ksl.com