With so much focus on fantasy football and statistics in the modern NFL, it’s often easy to overlook the human side of the game. Fortunately, training camp is the perfect time for players to change that conversation.
Monday, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor gave a young fan a pair of his gloves. It was a simple gesture, but the child was brought to tears. His father captured the moment on camera and showed how he was overcome by emotion because one of his favorite players had just given him a special gift. Not many kids can say the same thing.
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Little man was moved after @nelsonagholor gave him his gloves 😭
(via @XavierDyer9)pic.twitter.com/PGA9UKkzrY
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) August 5, 2019
While the NFL regular season is full of intrigue about the possibilities of certain teams landing in the playoffs and, potentially, the Super Bowl, it doesn’t quite provide the same level of exposure for the fans as training camp. This late-summer period provides the perfect opportunity for kids and adults alike to get up close and personal with some big names.
The perfect example of this is the annual DreamDrive event in which members of the Green Bay Packers ride to training camp on the bicycles of young fans. This is when a youngster can walk next to Aaron Rodgers or another big star for a few moments and create long-lasting memories.
Of course, not every team has a tradition that focuses on this same level of interaction, so they instead have the players sign autographs after practice has ended. To their credit, figures such as Agholor use this as an added opportunity to make the moment special.
For example, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. recently gave a young fan a pair of his cleats after practice. New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell did the same following a recent practice in New York. Both gestures resulted in the young fans being completely shocked and overcome with emotion.
Agholor’s gift to this young fan is only the latest example an NFL star taking a few moments to brighten the day of someone younger than himself. These moments will be forgotten by the media once the games begin, but for the fans, these memories will last a lifetime.
Originally a first-round pick out of the University of Southern California, Agholor isn’t the Eagles leading receiver, but he has been an effective player throughout his career. In four seasons, Agholor has 185 receptions for 2,152 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LII when he tallied 84 receiving yards on 11 catches.
