Middle school student approached by a 'creepy' man ran to football team for help — their smart response saved him in time
Teamwork can help people in a variety of situations. But a high school football team didn't know that their teamwork would help save a middle school student's life. It all began when a boy came to the Fenton High School Football Team during their practice and told them that a stranger was following him. He looked very scared, so the team decided to help him and keep him safe from the man, per WXYZ-TV Detroit Channel 7.
The players were at their afternoon practice when the boy came to them, "screaming and crying for help," according to one of the players. "Then this dude came up and he looked kinda creepy." The boy was completely alone when a middle-aged man approached him near the football field. He ran to the players and they got between the boy and the man, so he could be safe. "The man was right there, telling the kid to come over to him. The kid came, went behind me and said, 'Please don't let him take me,'" a teen recounted. They assured the boy that they wouldn't let anything happen to him and told the man to go away from there. "We chased him and I took pictures of his license plate," another player pointed out.
They called 911 after that and gave the plate number to the police. They also provided the cops with the stranger's description and the pictures of his van, per the outlet. The officers were able to catch up with the man because of all the help. "You see such things in the movies and you take that experience and use it in real life," a teenager added. They were happy that they were able to help and proud of the team effort they put in that day. The team was glad that they could use the teamwork they learned on the football field in saving a boy's life. The football players also thought that it was "just community service that everyone should do every day."
The teens hoped that the boy was okay after the "traumatizing" event. Even the Fenton police chief was amazed at how wonderfully the team handled the situation. An arrest wasn't made as no crime was committed, but the police revealed that they would keep a close watch on the man. People shared their thoughts on the incident in the comments section of the video. @zackslay2938 wrote, "They may be immature in their free time, but teens do step up and do good in moments like this. Awesome to see some good high school students." @selwynowen2613 commented, "It’s great to see that they stood up for this young boy. Young people get bad press, but most are doing a lot of good things for their community."
@jemmyjo remarked, "Made me cry. My kids' team would have done the same! Kids who spend this time together and work together are usually a good group of kids. Very impressed with their actions and protecting this scared little boy. He may not have been hurt physically, but he was psychologically. Hopefully, his rescuers keeping him safe will stay in his mind too." @fattymoko expressed, "This should have made national news. Thank God for these young men. They are good, wholesome and may they be forever blessed. I hope the young boy gets the help he needs. It’s traumatizing what he went through, but he’s a smart little boy."