(DISCLAIMER: You may want to locate your nearest box of Kleenex before continuing to scroll down.)
Fanatics, the exclusive product partner of the NFL, found a heartwarming way to welcome the league’s rookies into the pros.
In a video released on Wednesday morning, a number of 2024 draftees are sat down and shown personalized messages from their new team’s fans as well as those closest to them. Included in the group of first-year players are three of the Carolina Panthers’ draft picks—first-round wide receiver Xavier Legette, second-round running back Jonathon Brooks and fourth-round tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders.
And while it’s pretty nice to see the Panthers so well-represented in these touching introductions, we’re going to bet that Legette’s message is the one that steals the show.
Take a look:
We couldn't think of a better way to introduce these young stars to their new cities. Welcome home, 2024 @NFL Rookies. pic.twitter.com/7HuiUfv6aN
— Fanatics (@Fanatics) July 31, 2024
Legette lost both of his parents while in high school—his mother Anita to a bout of breast cancer after his freshman year and his father Anthony to a heart attack less than two months before graduation. Linda Neal, Legette’s maternal grandmother, served as a guiding light for Xavier through the devastating losses.
So congratulations, Grandma, and welcome to the NFL!