Back in 2016, Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton was known for his game tradition of giving the ball away to a fan in the stands after he scores a touchdown.
But in one particular game, he had no idea just how special that game ball would be when he handed it to 6-year-old Colin Toler.
What Newton didn’t know is that Colin had just lost his dad.
His father promised to take him to a Panther’s game before be died, but unfortunately his medical condition took him before he had the chance to do so.
Some friends gave Colin’s family tickets, so the boy was attending the game with both of his grandfathers instead.
After the 2nd-quarter touchdown, Newton almost didn’t get to follow through with his football giveaway tradition as Green Bay Packers linebacker Julius Peppers threw it away from him.
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(Source: SB Nation)
But Newton chased it down and headed straight toward Colin.
As the quarterback approached, the little boy was overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation.
“I was like oh gosh, oh gosh,” he told WSET13. “Am I going to be on the big screen or am I going to be on TV?! I was jumping up and down like yeah!”
“The back people were like, ‘can I take your picture?’ And I was like yeah,” said Colin. “And the side people gave me high fives and stuff, it was pretty fun.”
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A football may be a small gesture, but to this little boy, at this point in time…it was like placing the entire stadium in the palm of his 6-year-old hands.
Not only did Colin land a spot on the big screen, but also a priceless souvenir forever reminding him that even amidst the loss of his dad, he’s got another Father upstairs looking out for His precious son.
