A year after their fight went viral, two teens still learning from the man who stepped in
It's been one year since an internet video of two brawling teenagers and the man who stopped the fight went viral. Last March, young bystanders recorded every swing of a street fight in Atlantic City until neighbor Ali Miller stepped in, broke it up and gave Sheldon Ward and Jamar Mobley a piece of his mind. Miller's lecture to the crowd has now been viewed more than 36 million times.
As CBS News' Michelle Miller reports, the fight seen around the world -- and its peaceful resolution -- have had a profound impact on Sheldon Ward and Jamar Mobley's lives.
Why they took Ali Miller's words to heart? Jamar said with no father figure in his own life, hearing from a man felt different.
"He said to us what a father should have said to us," Jamar said.
Sheldon added, "Nobody told us to stop, or 'no don't fight 'em, it's not worth it.'"
Miller told the two young men to shake hands, refusing to leave if they didn't.
"He was literally going to stand there, he wasn't going to leave," Sheldon recalled.
He still won't leave. The teens said he's the big brother they both need, meeting with them at least once a week.
A father of six himself, Miller said he just wants to help kids lead better lives.
"Once they know that someone's paying attention, once they know that someone loves them, once they know that people are gonna be there for them and hold them to account, you know, they'll rise to the occasion," he said.
What a difference a little attention makes is apparent in how the two former foes now feel like family.
"I just hated this person. I just wanted to fight this person and now we're calling each other brothers," Jamar said.