Before the Denver Broncos‘ game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, star cornerback Pat Surtain gave a football to a young fan wearing his jersey.
Somebody apparently later took the football from the fan. Now Surtain is asking for help finding the young fan so he can replace the ball.
“Just now seeing this…” Surtain tweeted on Sunday morning. “Before the game yesterday I gave away a game ball to a little kid. Just for it to be taken away from him if anybody can put me in contact with the kid and his family hmu asap !!”
Here is the fan that received the ball:
That moment when you get a 🏈 from @PatSurtainll 🥹 pic.twitter.com/mqeANUbN4z
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 28, 2024
He was clearly emotional after receiving the ball, one can only imagine his reaction to having it taken away.
They took the ball away from this kid??pic.twitter.com/SJqpfXHYjG https://t.co/h7iOvSiAFO
— RG 📷 (@RyanGreeneDNVR) December 29, 2024
A women who says she is cousins with the boy’s mom tweeted Surtain that they eventually got the ball back, so the story has a happy ending.
“You definitely made his day and have fans for life in our whole family! 🧡💙,” she tweeted.
You are awesome! His mom is my cousin, and they got the ball back. You definitely made his day and have fans for life in our whole family! 🧡💙
— Katie Ritter, EdD (@Katie_M_Ritter) December 29, 2024
Surtain later responded to that tweet:
— Patrick Surtain (@PatSurtainll) December 29, 2024
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Surtain still reach out — perhaps with another football — after the young fan’s roller coaster day on Saturday.
Surtain has totaled 42 tackles, 11 pass breakups, four interceptions and one pick-six this season. He is one of the leading candidates to win the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024.
