Last year we shared a story about Florida State wide receiver Travis Rudolph who went out of his way to make an autistic boy feel special.
The Florida State football team was visiting a local middle school for a meet-and-greet when Rudolph noticed Bo Paske eating lunch by himself. Rudolph decided that he wasn’t going to let Bo feel lonely during the team’s time there, so he popped a squat next to him and forged a friendship. What the Seminoles’ wide receiver didn’t know was that Bo is autistic and the gesture carried a lot of significance to Bo’s mother.
She wrote a kind note to Travis and what his gesture meant to not only her son but also to her.
Fast forward a couple months and Rudolph is getting ready for the NFL Draft hoping that his football dreams come true and he gets the chance to play in the NFL. Unfortunately for Travis, tragedy struck just days before the draft when his father was fatally shot while he was at work in West Palm Beach, Florida. It’s an unfortunate situation that must be impossible for Rudolph and his family to fathom.
While Travis couldn’t have his father sit by his side during the draft, he did invite a familiar friend to watch it with him–Bo Paske. Bo and Travis have forged a friendship that seems like it will last a lifetime
Travis wasn’t selected in the 2017 draft but at least he had a lot of company with him. He ended up signing as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants.
We’re sure Bo will be in attendance for a game if Travis makes the roster. Here’s to hoping he does.
