Meet The Armless Quarterback Who Refused To Let His Poor Eyesight Stop Him From Reaching The NFL

Growing up as an armless kid in West Texas, Adam “Four Eyes” Guidroz could only dream of one day overcoming his poor eyesight to play quarterback in the NFL. Today, that dream is a reality.

“When I was diagnosed with astigmatism, I was crushed. I thought I’d never throw the ball again,” the armless 49er commented during Friday’s interview. “I couldn’t hit a receiver to save my life and definitely couldn’t point out blitzes. Couldn’t read the numbers.” Refusing to let a disability get in his way, Guidroz slapped a poster of sunglass-clad Jim McMahon on the wall for inspiration and got to work.

Armed with nothing but his father’s worth ethic and a killer spiral, Guidroz squinted his way right into Clemson. “When they held out that offer letter for me to grab, I was literally floored. My dad even had to help me back up. I thought there’s no way a school like that would take a chance on a guy with 20-40 vision. Especially considering how my farsightedness led to so many fumbled handoffs.”

But, Clemson did take that chance. Their coaching staff and optometry specialists molded Guidroz into the National Champion Heisman Winner the 49ers would draft first overall. While only one season into his NFL career, the similarities between Guidroz and Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre are uncanny. When asked about the comparison, the quarterback just shrugged his nubs and said, “I guess I’m just a gunslinger.”