OTTAWA, Kan. -- A Kansas high school senior is legally blind and has a debilitating illness, but he's overcome the odds and is a star football player, KMBC's Jim Flink reported.

Darius Johnson can see clearly only what is right in front of him, and he has sickle cell anemia.

"It's kind of a blur," he said. "I've had glasses -- it doesn't help. Nothing would help. I've checked into contacts, even Lasik (eye surgery) -- it will not help."

And yet, Johnson has rushed for more than 1,000 yards on the football field.

"He can only see clearly 2 feet in front of his face. Everything else, he makes up for in some kind of way," said Darnell Johnson, Darius' uncle. He adopted the future football star after his mother died of cancer when the boy was 10.

Tuesday, the Derrick Thomas Third and Long Foundation awarded the teenager a trophy and a personalized football jersey.

"I grew up in a small town of Shelby, Miss., and for something likes this to happen, it's just amazing," Darius Johnson said.

"You can look at his face, and you can see how warm he is," said Pat Boeh, Johnson's coach. "He's got a phenomenal attitude, a great work ethic. To us, he's a superstar."

Darius' uncle said he's inspired by the boy.

"It helps me to have more patience, to see how he went through things," Darnell Johnson said.

Darius said he hopes to go to college, but he hasn't picked a school yet. He said his lifetime goal is to run in the Olympics, if his sight holds out.