Seven-year-old Brody Kirk really likes the Alabama football team. In fact, he’s such a big fan, he cried happy tears when the team scored its first 66-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Mac Jones during last weekend’s Iron Bowl between Alabama and the Auburn Tigers.
After Brody’s dad, Cody Kirk, posted a video of his son’s excitement over the impressive pass to wide received DeVonta Smith, some cruel prankster called the Kirk household, pretending to be an employee with the University of Alabama. The person gave the 7-year-old boy a fake invite to come meet the entire team and coach Nick Saban. But it was all a ruse.
When the family found out it was a mean-spirited trick, the kid’s mom, Brooke Kirk, wrote about it on social media. On Thursday, Brooke shared quite the surprise with people who have followed the story.
Greg Byrne, the athletic director for the university, caught wind of what happened to Brody and reached out to Cody. The entire ordeal, Brooke recalled, “upset [Byrne] very much.” So the athletic director asked for the family’s address so he could send Brody “a surprise.”
“This ‘Bama box’ came in the mail today!” Brooke wrote in a Facebook post published Thursday, sharing photos of a prize-filled package, which included a football signed by Saban and his wife as well as an autographed picture of the famous coach. Brody’s mom called the unexpected gift “such a blessing.”
“Brody was so excited and so incredibly thankful for this sweet gift!” she continued. “This was just another amazing example of how God works all things for the good of those who love Him. He took this crude prank that someone played on our 7 year old and turned it into a blessing that made my sweet boy so happy. We didn’t avenge. God did. He got the last laugh and we got a ’Bama blessing. God bless and roll tide!”
The 69-year-old Saban was not able to be with his team in-person for the weekend game because he recently tested positive for COVID-19 and has been quarantining. He described the distance as “very hard,” particularly given he feels “great.”
According to The New York Times, Saban experienced only a runny nose.