Jamie Reidy shares a heartwarming story that reminds us that sports allow us to excel as good people, too.
On the same day we learned that Lance Armstrong did indeed cheat and cover it up and lie about cheating and covering it up, we also got a gift from the sports gods: Michael Ferns from St. Clairsville High School in Ohio. (And how nice is it to hear something non-political come out of Ohio?!)
Cameron Smith from preprally.com reports:
Just feet short of the goal line, Ferns slowed and walked out of bounds at the 1-yard line. Everyone in the stadium was stunned, except for Ferns’ teammates, who instantly knew what he was doing: He was setting up Logan Thompson to score a fitting touchdown in memory of his late father, who had died just two days earlier from a catastrophic stroke.
Ferns’s unexpected and possibly unprecedented move confused everyone in the stands, as well as the referees who ruled it a touchdown. Fortunately, they got the call straight and set the stage for the freshman Logan to score a TD for his dad.
“Looking straight up into the sky after scoring my first varsity touchdown…i know the old man was watching! love and miss you so much daddy,” Thompson tweeted after the victory.
Did you cry, GMP readers? I did! Boy that felt good.
About Jamie Reidy
With a heart that good, that young man,Michael Fearns, should do well in life.
Thanks for a story that I will share with my high school students tomorrow. Through tears, probably…
I’m from Texas, so I need to know the most important facts: did his team win the game or not? Are they going to the state championships? Why not let his teammate score a 2-point conversion instead? Am I the only one who cares about the importance of victory? : – )
Heads-up play to wait until later in the game, when the victory is more assured, before setting up the feel-good touchdown. You can be generous, selfless, AND competitive all at the same time, which is why Thompson didn’t play most of the game…..
Seriously, though, it does bring a tear to my eye. And I think it’s touching AND funny that the guys on his team corrected the refs to tell them that their team DIDN’T score a touchdown. Not something a ref hears very often.