Young 12's lost football at Seattle parade leads to call from Seahawk, community response
Young Seahawks fan surprised after heartbreak at Super Bowl parade in Seattle
From heartbreak to the surprise of a lifetime! FOX 13 News has an update on 8-year-old Antonio Rodrigues who lost his signed football at the Seattle Seahawks World Champions Parade.
SEATTLE - From heartbreak to the surprise of a lifetime! FOX 13 News introduced you to 8-year-old Antonio Rodrigues last week after he lost his signed football at the Seattle Seahawks World Champions Parade.
His story exploded on social media, leading to outreach from other 12s and a Seahawk!
This weekend, we heard from Seahawks Cornerback Josh Jobe and his fiancée who saw "Little" Antonio's story about losing his signed ball at the parade.
We connected them and soon, the young 12 will get a brand-new ball. But that's not all that happened.
Antonio Rodrigues
What they're saying:
"My uncle looked for it. He couldn't find it. I just got sad right away," "Little" Antonio said during an interview last week.
You may remember the young fan who told us he lost his signed football at the Seahawks World Champions Parade when his uncle tossed the ball toward Sam Darnold hoping for an autograph only for it to bounce away, be given to someone else by security by mistake, and vanish.
Young Seahawks fan’s signed football goes missing after parade toss
An 8-year-old Seahawks fan from Puyallup lost his signed football after his family tossed it toward quarterback Sam Darnold during Seattle’s victory parade. His parents say security picked it up and handed it to the wrong person, and the team says it’s aware and working to help.
"I had it signed by one of the best people on there. Three signatures on it. I almost got four," "Little" Antonio said.
Well, a lot has changed since that first story. The young 12 has captured the hearts of people all around the area and on social media.
Local perspective:
U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Steven Cracraft from Joint Base Lewis-McChord heard about "Little" Antonio's tough loss on Facebook.
"I felt really bad right off the bat because, you know, I have a son that's a couple years older and those are the things that I like to take my son to do," Cracraft said.
Antonio Rodrigues
He surprised him with a football signed by players including D.K. Metcalf and Tyriq Woolen. He also brought a jersey signed by D.K. Metcalf.
"I think the biggest thing for me, was just, like showing the younger generation there are good people out there. I mean, you see how much negativity there is out in the world and the thing I want to instill in my kids is just, be a good person no matter what happens," Cracraft said.
Sam Darnold at the Seahawks Super Bowl Victory Parade
Dig deeper:
Then, Jobe and his fiancée got in touch with us. We connected them with "Little" Antonio and his family.
"Big" Antonio Rodrigues, his father, shared a video of a conversation between the young 12 and the cornerback.
Seahawks Super Bowl victory parade
"I heard about your football, man. Don't worry about that. I'll sign you another football. I'll be back down Wednesday. So, I'll be able to give you another then. Just keep your head up," Jobe said during the call.
The young 12 appeared relieved and thankful.
"Little" Antonio's mother told us more people have reached out to her and said they've found footballs but don't know who they belong to. She wants to start a Facebook page to connect them and hopefully pay it forward.
Antonio Rodrigues at the Seahawks Super Bowl victory parade
It's a moment showing just how quickly 12s jump in to help one another.
"To see the rest of everyone come together and make the situation right is just truly amazing," Cracraft said.
As of now, "Little" Antonio is set to meet up with Jobe and get a new ball on Wednesday.
FOX 13 News was invited to join the family and "Little" Antonio's big day. We'll keep you updated on how it goes.
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