Despite torn ACL, Manatee High’s Jackson Beyer steps up to help Hurricane Irma victims

Jackson Beyer’s interest in football began when he was 7 years old.

His concern for humanity started long before.

So when Beyer tore his anterior cruciate ligament for a second time a few weeks ago, the Manatee High junior defensive end didn’t let the injury stop him from helping others in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

“Helping people less fortunate than me is something that you should always do,” Beyer said.

Beyer joined a group of about 20 from Bradenton, some who were affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, to remove trees wrought by Irma’s destructive winds on mobile homes in southwest Florida.

Showing no signs of slowing because of the torn ACL, Beyer happily cranked a chainsaw to cut trees in Immokalee.

“I was just told the night before, if I want to go for two days and camp on a church campground,” Beyer said. “I was like, ‘Heck yeah, I want to do that. It sounds fun. I want to help out people.’ ”

Part of that attitude comes from Beyer’s background. Traveling on cruises to third-world countries showed how fortunate Beyer is, and he said he’s never faced anything too difficult.

Even a second torn ACL?

“I could walk on it this time, which was different,” Beyer said. “If I could walk, then I guess I could do anything. There’s nothing you can’t do if you set your mind to it.”

The first time Beyer suffered a torn ACL in his left knee was in 2016 ahead of the regular-season finale against rival Southeast.

Beyer tore it for the second time in his second practice after getting medically cleared to return to the field.

Neither of those hardships prevented Beyer from jumping at the chance to help Irma victims in Immokalee.

He received a ride from family friend John Walz, a former Manatee football player whose son Ethan is a fourth-generation member of this year’s Canes squad, to Immokalee.

“He’s not a showy guy. He’s a very humble kid,” said former Manatee football player and current booster club president Bowen Summer, who was in the group helping Irma victims in Immokalee. “The years I’ve known him, just very dependable, does what he says he’s going to do, but he’s not looking for people to praise him.”

Beyer, who also wrestles and is in the JROTC program at Manatee, said the trip to Immokalee was one of the biggest eye-opening experiences of his life.

“There was so much work to do that you would literally go into a neighborhood and say, ‘Hey, do you need help,’ ” Summer said.

That included Beyer deadlifting logs, using a chainsaw and removing major debris from a stranger’s property.

Beyer said he felt like a lumberjack the entire time.

“I’m very appreciative to be able to have this certain lifestyle that I have. I guess you could say I’m spoiled. ... A torn ACL is one thing. Not being able to eat every night, that’s another thing. That’s worse than what I have. I like to help somebody that has it worse than I have.”

Added Summer: “I saw him pull up with John Walz, my brother-in-law, and I said, ‘Didn’t you just tear your ACL?’ He said, ‘Yeah, but they said it isn’t going to get any worse. It’s already torn. It just might hurt.’ ”

This story was originally published September 26, 2017 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Despite torn ACL, Manatee High’s Jackson Beyer steps up to help Hurricane Irma victims."