Kent State recruit is 1st player with autism to earn NCAA DI scholarship

Kent State recruit Kalin Bennett has yet to play a game for the Golden Flashes but he's already making NCAA history.

Bennett became the first student-athlete with autism to sign a national letter of intent to play a Division I team sport earlier this month, according to Elton Alexander of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The 6-foot-10, 300-pound center from Little Rock, Ark., chose Kent State over other schools because of its autism support initiatives.

"Going there and seeing that (support) opened some doors I haven't really thought about in a while," he told Alexander.

Bennett will enroll at Kent State next summer and hopes to inspire others with autism.

"I want to make an impact not just on the court, but with kids that are struggling with the same things I am," he said. "I want to use this platform to inspire other kids with autism and non-autism. I want to let them know, hey, if I can do this, you can do it, too. A lot of times they feel alone and by themselves, and I felt that same way growing up."