Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and the NFL are rallying to support a young Falcons fan who lost three family members in a house fire last week.
Jarrett surprised 12-year-old Taeden Johnson on a Zoom call with two tickets to Sunday’s Super Bowl in Tampa Bay. It will be the first NFL game for Johnson, who also got a pep talk from Jarrett about working hard, getting good grades, and believing in himself to achieve his dream of one day playing in the NFL.
Johnson escaped the fire in his family’s mobile home in Athens, Georgia, on Jan. 27 and ran to a neighbor’s home to call 911. According to WSB-TV 2 in Atlanta, Johnson tried to go back into the mobile home to save his family members but unfortunately, Johnson’s mother, grandmother, and little sister died in the fire.
The Falcons are providing transportation and hotel accommodations for Johnson and a guest while the NFL is providing the tickets.
The Falcons said Johnson’s mentor, Zac Hendrix, created a GoFundMe page, which has already raised more than $200,000.