'Don't Give Up': Young Eagles Fan Pens Letter To Eagles Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery
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WEST CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) – A young Eagles fan is comforting wide receiver Alshon Jeffery through a letter after the team was kicked out of the playoffs over the weekend.
It was a play every Eagles fan will likely remember for a while – a throw to Jeffery in the fourth quarter, which went through his hands and was intercepted to end the defending Super Bowl 52 champions' run in the playoffs.
Second-grader Abigail Johnson had some choice words for Jeffery, following the dropped pass.
"I am a huge Eagles fan. When I watched the play last night I was crying," read Abigail's letter to Jeffery.
"We came in Monday morning with a class full of sad Eagles fans," said Starkweather Elementary School Teacher Alli Morris.
So, the second-grade teacher assigned a project.
"We were talking about the game and Ms. Morris pulled up a picture of him laying on the ground, on the field because he was sad," said Abigail.
"I just was kind of like why don't you go back to your seat and in your notebook write about how you think he might have felt," said Morris.
So with number 2 pencils, her students wrote to number 17 -- what flowed was empathy.
"You don't always have to win a game. We couldn't have won the Super Bowl without you last year. I think you are a awesome player no matter what," read Abigail's letter.
After catching wind of the notes, Abigail's dad, Raymond, decided to share it with Alshon Jeffery on Twitter, an effort that quickly went viral.
"We were really encouraged and just thought it was sweet and we were hoping the Eagles think it would be fun and would like it," said Raymond Johnson, Abigail's dad.
They did get a hold of the Eagles front office and were invited to send the project to them.
Attention Alshon Jeffery -- a lesson in empathy and encouragement for players and fans alike.
"Don't give up on football," the letter continues. "Don't get mad easily. I know you can do it. We all know that you are a good player. - Love, Abigail."
There are about 25 of these letters in total, Morris says.
