GORDON COUNTY, Ga. — Gordon Central couldn't quite pick up enough points to shut out their rival, Rockmart High, on Friday night. But the final score isn't what people will remember about this game.
Thanks to videos in the locker room and on the field, they will remember the face of one of the Warriors' biggest fans as he was told to put on the uniform. And they'll also remember what he did to repay that kindness to a team that made his dream come true.
Jesse Walters was in his team polo shirt and baseball cap ready for the game when the coach gave him the news in a room filled with fellow players.
"Guess what Jesse," Coach Tristan Hamilton said. "Suit up!"
And with that, the entire room erupted with cheers as this team's super fan ran up to hug him.
Jesse is a Senior at Gordon Central and has been on the football and track teams all four years. He is also the manager for the men's basketball team.
Kyle Ruff, a youth pastor in the area, got an opportunity to see the joyful moment firsthand - so he decided to share it with the rest of the world on social media.
"Tonight, I got to witness one of the most inspirational moments of my life," he wrote. "Watching Jesse be told that he would suit up will be something I likely will never forget."
But the night's amazing moments wouldn't end there. Amid one of the first chills of the season, what followed on the gridiron melted hearts.
Video showed an amazing sight. Jesse got the ball after the snap, brought it completely around the line of scrimmage and ran it in for a touchdown with his teammates in tow.
The whole time, the crowd was screaming and cheering. Even Rockmart High School was cheering on this life-long Warrior. The competing team congratulated Jesse Walters on the 75-yard run. And so did many more on social media.
"He's the kind of kid you can rely on. Jesse brings a smile to everyone around him. If you give him a job you can count on it to be done," Asst. Coach John Rainwater shared with 11Alive.
Gordon Central would only record one touchdown for the game. But, in a moment that transcended teams, rivalries and the sport of football, everybody got a win that night.
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