Falcons player gifts Super Bowl trip to 12-year-old who lost family members in fire
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett helped surprise 12-year old Taeden Johnson of Athens, Georgia with a trip to Tampa for Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Johnson lost his mother Penyada Fields, sister Mariah Fields and grandmother Penny Fields in a predawn fire on Jan. 27 at an Athens mobile home park.
Taeden escaped the blaze and Jarrett became the latest sports star to reach out to Johnson this week.
He did it on a Zoom call Thursday that aired Friday on CBS This Morning. The network that is televising the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers helped arrange for Johnson and his mentor, former UGA student, Zach Hendrix to get a trip to the game.
“Me and my friends at the NFL, we want to grant you two tickets to the Super Bowl this year,” Jarrett told Taeden who was wearing a Georgia “G’” shirt. “The NFL and the Falcons are going to take really good care of you this year and you’re going to have a memorable time, man.”
Taeden, who plays for a local youth team, told Jarrett: “I want to play in the NFL, too!”
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan also sent a video message to Taeden this week.
Former Georgia basketball star Anthony Edwards spoke to him via a FaceTime call on Monday.
Georgia football players signed a football as well that Taeden was presented outside the Butts-Mehre building at UGA.
A GoFundMe account that Hendrix set up for Taeden and his half-sister Sha’Niyah has raised $217,524.