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    Shutdown Corner

    J.T. Thomas is pretty much the best person ever

    By MJD | Shutdown Corner – Wed, Feb 8, 2012 4:58 PM EST

    Getty ImagesJ.T. Thomas is a rookie linebacker for the Chicago Bears, drafted in the sixth round out of West Virginia. If you know his name, it's probably not because of anything he's done on an NFL field, because he spent his entire first season in the league on injured reserve.

    No, if you remember him, it's probably from the time he made a girl's night and melted America's heart when he took Joslyn Levell to her eighth-grade prom. Kindness like that isn't a one-time thing for J.T. Thomas, though.

    ESPN's Jemele Hill tells the story about Thomas taking a 14-year-old Anthony Grandberry to the Super Bowl. Thomas met Anthony, who has epilepsy, at the Bears' annual holiday party. Again, Thomas didn't play this year and thus, wasn't a high-priority target for autograph seekers. Anthony sought him out, though, and when he asked for an autograph, Thomas said it made him feel "like a Pro Bowler."

    So Thomas wanted to return the favor. He showed up at Anthony's church with two tickets to the Super Bowl, and asked Anthony if he wanted to go with him. Thomas picked him up and the two made the three-hour drive to Indianapolis to watch the Giants win the Super Bowl.

    There's a big heart on J.T. Thomas. And I haven't even mentioned the J.T. Thomas Foundation yet.

    Here's more on that from Jemele Hill:

    Last week, Thomas set his ambitious plan in action. He drove 1,300 miles from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Chicago with a group of volunteers who call themselves the "Ready Ready" crew. Along the way, they visited epilepsy centers in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando to raise awareness about a condition that affects more than 300,000 children under the age of 15.

    If J.T. Thomas ends up never playing a down in the NFL, he's already put himself in the Tremendous Human Being Hall of Fame. And if he's half as good a player as he is a person, he'll end up in the NFL Hall of Fame, too.

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    24 comments

    • EJ
      EJ  •  Phoenix, Arizona  •  3 months ago
      Fantastic story. Hope this kid can get on the field next season
    • AmaadC
      AmaadC  •  Winnipeg, Canada  •  3 months ago
      Wow, seriously 6 comments? There's like 5000 something for the article about Brandon Jacobs telling Gisele to shut up. You can say all you want about these writers writing stupid stories, but eventually it comes down to the publicity of the article which makes the writer continue to write useless crap. it's sad that stories like this get barely noticed. There's a lot of good people in the NFL, but all we get to see are the negatives.
      • KPaynnn
        KPaynnn 3 months ago
        So true, the journalist who reached in a previous article, tearing down and diminishing a NBA legend "Allen Iverson" in a previous article this month, should have his A ss handed to him with a side Dish of a Pink Slip. Sports writers are expected to be more competent than that
    • Dustin Wilson
      Dustin Wilson  •  Bloomington, Illinois  •  3 months ago
      This is a great story. I have a young daughter who suffered from two seizures when she was less than a year old and I know first hand how scary they can be. I'm very glad to see someone bringing attention to this. Best of luck to J.T. in his career and with his foundation!
    • Tom
      Tom  •  Denver, Colorado  •  3 months ago
      My new favorite player. Way to go JT. You're quite a guy.
    • some dude.
      some dude.  •  Chicago, Illinois  •  3 months ago
      Very glad to see this kind of player for my Bears. I hope he gets a lot of playing time, and makes the most of it.
    • Giants R Destined
      Giants R Destined  •  Kermit, West Virginia  •  3 months ago
      I remember JT when he was at West Virginia,A great player with a big heart. Good things will come for him!!!
    • fred
      fred  •  Carbondale, Illinois  •  3 months ago
      Im glad to see the something positive in the media for once. Way to go JT!
    • George L
      George L  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 months ago
      WHEN WE LEAVE THIS LIFE A PERSONS WORTH IS MEASURED BY THOSE WHO REALLY REMEMBER THEM FOR THE GOOD THEY DID WHILE THEY WERE HERE. THANKS J. T. THOMAS
    • John
      John  •  3 months ago
      Class act. What a great story. I hope he heals up and has a great season (and career for that matter).
    • The Unsilent Majority
      The Unsilent Majority  •  3 months ago
      Awesome. Best of luck healing from the injury and having a great career.
    • phillyphan61
      phillyphan61  •  3 months ago
      All CLASS..Your parents are no doubt very proud of you.You made a difference in someones life. Finally a football player that thinks of others instead of pointing themselves out so you can see them... maybe its time the players in the nfl and all sports to stop acting like prima donnas.... because if you never had sports, you'd be a working stiff like the rest of us.
    • Bernard Woods
      Bernard Woods  •  3 months ago
      Great story.
    • Blorto
      Blorto  •  3 months ago
      There's plenty more stories like this out there Yahoo. Find them, print them. We could do with less "most hated this" "10 worst list" that.
    • Bernard Woods
      Bernard Woods  •  3 months ago
      Great story.
    • TOE
      TOE  •  Houston, Texas  •  3 months ago
      Outstanding job JT. It is nice to see someone with a big heart to help the needie and communities. You will go a long way.
    • wm31
      wm31  •  3 months ago
      The message I tell my kids is that firefighters, policeman, emt's, nurses are the true heroes, not the athletes always on our TV. Guys like JT Thomas make that an incorrect lesson for them. There are some athletes who deserve our respect and admiration but it is for what they do off the field and not on it. Best wishes JT, hope you have a long career in the NFL.
      • James
        James 3 months ago
        Why do you assume that all firefighters, policeman, emt's, nurses are the true heroes? There are nuckleheads in every profession and there sure are plenty of cops, firemen, emt's, and nurses who are not heroes. Hey, I have an idea. Why not judge each person on his or her own merit rather than making feckless assumptions that are often false. A girl in Florida was raped by a cop when that cop responded to the girl's 911 call. That guy's a cop but not a hero.
    • Ungawwa
      Ungawwa  •  Chicago, Illinois  •  3 months ago
      ..What a GREAT KID! and , do'nt be too surprised when he's challenging Nick Roach in next season's camp for the SAM spot...stay tuned....Heart like that ALWAYS shows up on the field!
    • Michael F
      Michael F  •  New York, New York  •  3 months ago
      hope he gets to play soon so they can publicize this guy and his foundation. either that or he will have to buddy up with tim tebow next season
      • Michael F
        Michael F 3 months ago
        by soon i mean next season
    • Eric N
      Eric N  •  3 months ago
      The sad thing is being a 6th round pick he will probably get cut and some jacked up felon will make the team and get arrested instead.
      They really need to get rid of the felons in this game so the stand up players like this own the field.
    • Cdncritic
      Cdncritic  •  3 months ago
      Another brilliant article from MJD. Shower the guy with praise and 4 days later he gets arrested, bags of weed spilling out of the dash of his car. He's probably a mid-level distributor for Sam Hurd. That Superbowl ticket thing was a cover so that he could mule a large shipment up to Indianapolis to take advantage of the inflated market. Nothing but a degenerate drug dealer.
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