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EWING, N.J. – Head Coach Casey Goff and The College of New Jersey football team have been known to look for multi-sport athletes throughout his time with program. The Lions have signed another with their first member of the 2020 class in Ian Todd. Seven-year old Todd, a hockey force, will look to use those skills on the gridiron as well.

Todd was put on the Lions recruiting radar by Team IMPACT. Team IMPACT pairs collegiate teams with children ages 5-16 who have been diagnosed with a serious or chronic illness who could benefit from becoming a member of the team.

Todd, who hopes to parlay his time with the Lions into a career in Marine Biology, will use the speed of a Mako Shark to make plays on the field. Todd showed off the #22 jersey he will wear as a member of the Lions in a press conference held Tuesday afternoon.

In 2011, Todd was diagnosed with Spina Bifida. The illness is a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don't properly form.

On Tuesday, Todd warned his new teammates to "not even try to race me, because I am very fast." He will lead the Lions on to the field for Saturday's game against Wesley College.

When asked why he chose TCNJ, Todd explained it was his love for the campus which he visited during the New Jersey Special Olympics, which are held at TCNJ every summer.

"We were extremely lucky to have Team IMPACT and their representatives contact us," said Goff. "It's a tremendous organization that is doing great things. This will be a great experience not just for the young man that's joining our program, but also for what our program is going to learn from Ian. It's an important program that we are extremely excited to be a part of."

Team IMPACT is a national nonprofit headquartered in Boston, Mass that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams, forming lifelong bonds and life-changing outcomes. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 1,900 children with more than 650 colleges and universities in 48 states, reaching over 55,000 participating student-athletes.

The Team IMPACT leaders of TCNJ football are Erik Graham, Andrew Donoghue, Gavin Liepe, Jack Clevenger, Jaiden Elliott, Matthew Bruno, and Steve Armstrong.

As the newest member of the Lions, Todd will attend games, practices, team dinners, events, and more. He will be an honorary captain for TCNJ's game on Saturday against Wesley.