I officially have a new favorite college football player. And, on a completely unrelated note, if it gets dusty up in here, don’t blame me.
Travis Rudolph is a star wide receiver for the Florida State Seminoles, talented enough to lead FSU in receiving a year ago and be named preseason first-team All-ACC last month. He might, though, be a better human being than he is a football player.
Check that, he is.
That would be Rudolph sitting with Bo Paske, a middle schooler with autism who the player noticed was eating lunch alone as the team visited Montford Middle School. The act of kindness, which brought Bo’s mom Leah to tears, just seemed like the thing to do to Rudolph.
“I asked if I could sit next to him, and he said ‘sure, why not?’” Rudolph said according to the Orlando Sentinel. “I just felt like we had a great conversation.
“He started off and was so open. He told me his name was Bo, and how much he loves Florida State, and he went from there.”
Rudolph told reporters following practice yesterday that he nearly teared up reading the mother’s Facebook post. He also said the young boy can have his cell number if he needs/wants it.
Suffice to say, Rudolph’s head coach was very proud of his player.
“You can affect people in a lot of ways. That’s the way you affect people,” Jimbo Fisher said. “Make somebody’s day by being yourself, and going and spreading the word, and understanding the impact you have as an athlete and role model to people in the community.”
“I was extremely proud of him. He made some young man’s day.”
Everyone, regardless of whether you’re an FSU fan or not, should be proud of this young man. What a beautiful display of humanity and compassion, something from which we could all learn a lesson.