The COC Cougars will kick off against East. L.A. this Saturday night at 7 p.m., but what most people don’t know is who will be kicking off for the Cougars.

Seth Mannon, a former LSU player who now kicks off for the Cougars, also has recorded 2 tackles this season.  Did we mention he has just one arm?

Born without his left arm, Mannon grew up in Houston before going to LSU.

Mannon started playing football in the 6th grade at defensive end and fell in love with the sport. As he headed to high school, Mannon’s mom didn’t want him playing .  But despite the objections, Mannon was confident he could compete.

“Can’t” wasn’t in his vocabulary. Mannon’s freshman year he played middle linebacker and ended up on the all-star team! In his sophomore year Mannon started kicking for his high school team but playing defense was still his passion. It didn’t hurt that Mannon stood just six inches shy of 7 feet and weighed 260 pounds.

Mannon now finds himself at COC and with plenty of fans. Head coach Garrett Tujague has been impressed not with Mannon’s arm, but his leg. Power that was developed years ago not on the football field, but on the soccer pitch.

In present day, Mannon is fitting right in the with the Cougars. Tujague admits that his unique player does an excellent job of blending in. Tasks that Mannon said are by design.

“I like to do everything the team does, I mean I can’t do chin-ups and stuff like that obviously. So I always try to do stuff to supplement that,” Mannon said.

Mannon clearly has created a fan in Tujague.

“Even with one arm Seth has one of the best work ethics and shows his dedication to football and this team,” Tujague said.

Mannon’s teammate and best friend Joey Roth who is the Cougars punter hopes both will transfer to the University of Maryland in the future. But Mannon’s independent nature may make that wish difficult. Mannon says he would like to return to the South and besides Mannon is not a fan of the Terrapins new jerseys.

Regardless of where life takes him, Mannon said he interested in motivating others. While at LSU, Mannon said many people would stop him on campus and tell him they’re his inspiration. Mannon plans on encouraging kids in the future to always stay positive and always face challenges head on.