Hansel Enmanuel: A Beacon of Inspiration in College Basketball
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — The Austin Peay men’s basketball team recently faced a challenging defeat, losing 88-82 to Eastern Kentucky. The Governors had the game in their grasp but let it slip away in the final minutes. In the aftermath, the locker room was a mix of emotions, but one moment stood out, transcending the disappointment of the loss.
In the midst of the post-game atmosphere, Hansel Enmanuel, the Governors’ junior guard, locked eyes with a high school freshman who had come to the game with his family, hoping to meet the inspirational player. Enmanuel, known for his incredible dunks and uplifting spirit, competes at the Division I level despite having only one arm. His left arm was amputated below the shoulder following an accident when he was just six years old.
Enmanuel’s journey from the Dominican Republic to becoming a social media sensation is nothing short of remarkable. With 1.5 million followers on Instagram and 2.8 million on TikTok, his presence is felt far and wide. Wherever he goes, fans, players, and even celebrities are eager to meet him, take photos, or simply be in his presence. Austin Peay ensures he has security for every road game due to his popularity.
On this particular evening in Richmond, Kentucky, the young high school player, who also has a prosthetic limb, was overwhelmed as Enmanuel approached him. “We get those requests before every game,” said Governors coach Corey Gipson. “I always ask Hansel because one of our promises to him when he came to Austin Peay was that it wasn’t going to be a dog and pony show.”
Gipson, who recruited Enmanuel to Northwestern State before bringing him to Austin Peay in 2023, added, “We’ve told Hansel that he can say no if it gets to be too much, but he never does.”
Enmanuel, with his characteristic warmth, smiled at the young player, who was struggling to find words. The boy’s mother encouraged him, “Baby, don’t you want to say something?” As the scene unfolded, tears welled up in the eyes of some Eastern Kentucky officials present.
Enmanuel, sensing the moment, offered a comforting laugh and embraced the freshman, who was now in tears. “Hey, it’s OK. Listen to me,” Enmanuel said softly. “I know you’ve got something to say, but I want to tell you this: You can be anything you want to be if you’re willing to work for it. Everything I’ve gotten, I’ve worked for. I’ve never worried about what anybody thought about me. I’ve been willing to sacrifice and pay the price to put myself in this position. You’ve got to do the same thing, and you can be right where I am.”
By this point, the boy’s mother was also in tears. “I’m not sure there was anybody there that wasn’t crying,” Gipson remarked.
For Enmanuel, 21, the focus has never been on what he lost at a young age but rather on what he can give to others. It’s not about what he doesn’t have but what he does have. Not about what he can’t do but what he can do. And it’s never about him, but about others.
“I think he understands that the torch he carries is a very heavy one, and it burns hot,” said Austin Peay senior guard Isaac Haney, who has known Enmanuel longer than any of his other teammates. “He pushes through every single day because he knows people are looking at him. I’m always amazed at how he attacks basketball and life in a way that people with fully functioning bodies don’t.”
Enmanuel’s impact extends beyond the court. His example has changed the lives of countless kids, including 16-year-old Josh Sexton from Buford, Georgia. Sexton, who has endured 39 surgeries and multiple cancer diagnoses, made his junior varsity basketball team this season and will play AAU ball in the spring, all without a right arm.
“Hansel gave me a reason to play,” Sexton said. “If it wasn’t for Hansel, I don’t know if I’d have ever started playing basketball because the mental state that I was in with all the surgeries, all the cancer, all the injuries … I didn’t really know if I was ever going to do anything physical.”
Sexton has attended Gipson’s basketball camp at Austin Peay for the past two summers. At the first camp, he was just learning to walk and run again after doctors found a cancerous spot under his right knee. They saved his leg but had to remove the growth plate underneath his knee and replace it with bone from a cadaver, requiring a year of treatment.
Despite these challenges, Sexton met Enmanuel and even played one-on-one games with him. “It didn’t go very well,” Sexton’s mom, Alishia, said with a laugh. “Josh actually played pretty good defense on him the first game, but he fell going for the ball in the second game, and Hansel went in and dunked.”
Enmanuel’s influence is not limited to basketball. He has lucrative NIL deals with major brands like Oakley, Gatorade, Adidas, T-Mobile, and Banreservas. His deals total about $1.5 million, and he shares his success with others. For instance, he provided sneakers for his team at Northwestern State and Oakley sunglasses for Austin Peay’s baseball team after their championship win.
“Hansel is the poster child for what NIL is supposed to be,” said Austin Peay athletic director Gerald Harrison. “It’s not pay-for-play. It’s truly name, image, and likeness that he’s capitalizing on, and the most impressive thing is that he’s sharing it with people. He doesn’t have to. He wants to.”
Enmanuel’s journey is a testament to resilience and determination. He doesn’t dwell on the past but focuses on the present and future. “I don’t really plan anything,” Enmanuel said. “That’s just the type of person I am, because God’s got my plan.”
Originally Written by: Chris Low
