- Falcons running back
Cordarrelle Patterson gave a ball to a young, crying fan on Sunday. - The young fan was crying because her brother had gotten a ball, but she did not.
Cordarrelle Patterson saved the day for a family of fans at the
After the Falcons win over the Detroit Lions, Patterson came across a family watching at field level. The young girl in the group was crying.
"Why's she crying?" Patterson asked the girl's mother, his hands on his hips in a pose that showed he was determined to solve the issue.
"Because he got a ball, and she didn't," the mother replied, referring to the girl's brother.
"She needs a ball?" Patterson replied. "Let's find her a ball."
Patterson than ran over to some team employees and asked to get a ball from them, retrieved one, and handed it over to the girl.
"Thank you! You saved the day!" the family said.
It's the most heartwarming football moment you will see this week.
—Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 27, 2021
On Twitter, fans and commentators alike praised Patterson for his kind gesture.
—Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 28, 2021
—Kevin Negandhi (@KevinNegandhi) December 28, 2021
—trey wingo (@wingoz) December 28, 2021
—Kurtis Seaboldt (@KSeaboldt) December 28, 2021
—준 Jun (@Royals_Jun) December 28, 2021
In addition to his fine performance off the field, Patterson is having a strong year on the field as well. On Sunday, Patterson rushed for a touchdown and returned three kicks for 79 yards en route to a Falcons victory. At 30 years old, he's set career-highs in rushing (579 yards) and receiving yards (523) this season.
But as he made obvious after the game, the biggest play Patterson made on Sunday was in service of a fan on the sidelines.