In the premiere episode of Greater Than The Game’s Champion Chronicles, we talk with Southern Illinois University freshman running back Kayleb Wagner. 

Overcoming the Odds 

Wagner was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, a condition where the umbilical cord gets wrapped around a limb of a developing fetus, causing it to be underdeveloped. Yet, from a young age, Wagner refused to let his condition stop him. Growing up in Baker, Florida, Wagner fell in love with the game of football, playing on both sides of the ball. it wasn’t until middle school, when he started to play at running back that he showed he could really dominate on the gridiron. 

In a four-year varsity career at  Baker High School, he rushed for over 5842 yards and 66 touchdowns. As a junior, he made national headlines by breaking the state of Florida’s high school single-game rushing record that was set by Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry in 2012, rushing for 535 yards in just 25 carries. 

Saluki Football

Despite rushing for over 1900 yards as a junior and over 2000 yards in his senior year, he had one offer to play Divison One football at Southern Illinois University. Check out our full documentary above, where Wagner talks about his amazing journey to Division One football and the life lessons he has learned along the way.

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