HENSLEY

show anything ... but then I heard the word ‘stroke.’ ”

Hensley spent his freshman season at Collierville on the junior varsity before developing into a two-time all-state center back. That won him a chance to play at CarsonNewman.

Memory problems caused by the stroke made academics and soccer too difficult on the college level, and Hensley gave up playing and went into coaching. But soccer hadn’t given up on him.

Two years ago, he received a call from head coach Stuart Sharp, inviting him to try out for the national team. The coach had stumbled across an article about Hensley.

“It (the stroke) was maybe a little bit of a silver lining,” Hensley said. “I had been a happy honor student (before), but I was in a dark place for a few years.”

Paralympic soccer is different from the regular game; there are seven players on a side instead of 11, the field and goal posts are smaller and games are 60 minutes instead of 90. And there’s no offside rule, which often leads to freeflowing attacking play.

Each player on a team is assigned a number from 5 (most disabled) to 8 (least) depending on level of disability. Teams are allowed only one 8 on the field at a time, and Hensley is it for the U.S.

“If you watched me, you wouldn’t know there was anything wrong,” said Hensley, who plays midfield for the national team.

The draw was tough for the U.S.; the Netherlands is the most successful team in Paralympics history with three gold medals since 1984, and Iran and Argentina are also strong. But Hensley said don’t count the Americans out.

“Out of eight teams (in the competition), we’re ranked eighth,” he said. “But we’ve beaten Holland and Argentina over the last three years. Our goal is to medal.”