Oklahoma football star Jalen Hurts has been stellar on the field during the 2019 college football season after transferring to the Sooners from the Alabama Crimson Tide, but it is what he did after this past weekend’s win over the Iowa State Cyclones that really shows the kind of person he is.
The Sooners welcomed 12-year-old Rayden Overbay as a special guest to the Iowa State game.
Rayden has high-functioning autism, diabetes, and is deaf in one ear. This past September, a video went viral that showed Rayden being bullied and attacked by a group of kids. Rayden suffered serious injuries in the attack and had suicidal thoughts in the aftermath; going as far as to write “I want to kill myself” on his arm in marker.
Well, Rayden now knows he has a great support system thanks to the Sooners’ gestures over the weekend.
After Oklahoma squeaked out a 42-41 victory over Iowa State, Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley presented Rayden with the game ball in the team locker room.
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That’s when Jalen Hurts stepped in.
After Rayden received the game ball, Hurts approached him and autographed the ball during a heart-warming exchange. While speaking to Rayden, Hurts said, “You got a whole squad of people behind you.”
He expanded on his comments on social media.
“It was great getting to meet Rayden Overbay this weekend! He is a true soldier and such an inspiration to many,” Hurts wrote on Twitter. “He has a friend in me! Much Love!”
This is the kind of content we love to see.
Up next for the Sooners is a meeting with the No. 12 Baylor Bears on Saturday, November 16. The game will have serious Big 12 title implications and could catipult the winner into the mix for the College Football Playoff. Kickoff at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
