Seth Udinski, FISM News
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The world of professional sports may not be the first place you would look for examples of Christlikeness, but it is always encouraging when Christian athletes show Christlike love to their fans. Last week, former Super Bowl champion and current Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz did this in a special way for one of his young fans.
Wentz, an outspoken Christian, has a lifelong fan in 14-year-old Giovanni Hamilton, a boy from the greater Philadelphia region who suffers from Schwartz-Jampel syndrome (SJS), a rare disease that has kept him from physical growth and limited his mobility. While Wentz was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019, he met Giovanni at an Eagles training camp session before the season.
It was a special moment for the young fan, whose jovial response soon went viral:
It’s not every day you get to meet your hero.#EaglesCamp | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/dezSoFcM9J
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) July 26, 2019
Giovanni has remained a faithful Wentz supporter even as others in Philly turned on him when he was released by the Eagles and signed with the Colts back in the spring. In preparation for last Sunday’s contest against the Houston Texans, Wentz arranged for Giovanni to fly to Indianapolis for the game, through his charity foundation, AO1.
Giovanni spent time with Wentz and other Colts players on the field and also got to meet another former member of the Eagles, head coach Frank Reich.
You guys are the best. My fam and me love Indy so much and I cannot wait to come back!!!! I miss it💙
Thank you @coltscommunity and @AO1Foundation for the best weekend ever #ForTheShoe https://t.co/id1vmaDNFY
— The Giovanni Show Podcast (@GioThePodcaster) October 21, 2021
Giovanni has remained a loyal Philadelphia Eagles fan, becoming something of a local celebrity as a sports podcaster in the Delaware Valley. Thanks to Wentz’s generosity, the Colts now also have a new diehard fan.
To add even more excitement to an already special weekend for Giovanni, his hero Wentz played his best game of the 2021 season and led the Colts to a much-needed 31-3 rout of the Texans.