HBO’s docuseries “Hard Knocks” captured a beautiful moment between father in son following the game between the Cardinals and Rams.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver coach Shawn Jefferson made his way onto the field to embrace his son, Van Jefferson of the Los Angeles Rams, after the final whistle blew.
The moment, which was captured by cameras and a live mic, is one of the most touching post-game moments the sport has witnessed in a long time.
Following the Rams’ loss, Van Jefferson was overcome with emotion when he got to speak to his dad about fortitude and effort.
Shawn had this to say to his son, as shared by the NFL.
"Stay in the fight."
That's a real father-son moment between Van and Shawn Jefferson after Cardinals-Rams. @VanJefferson12 @NFLFilms#HardKnocks In Season with the @AZCardinals continues Wednesday at 10pm ET on @HBOMax pic.twitter.com/CqHykCOxNs
— NFL (@NFL) November 15, 2022
Stay in the fight, right? Let’s go, stay in the fight. That’s what it’s about. You gotta grind it out, right? Keep grinding. You’re good, You’ll be alright. Stay in the fight. Nobody said this wouldn’t be hard, man. I’m telling you, it’s gonna be hard. You gotta keep battling.
And then, here’s the deal – when you keep battling after you come out of this test you’re rewarded with another test. So keep going!
Love you, man. I love you. Keep going.
Wow, that was powerful.
That speech was powerful and it’s obvious that both Shawn and Van Jefferson will remember that moment for the rest of their lives.
There’s beauty in seeing the tears in Van’s eyes as his father reassures him that he has what it takes to be great, he just needs to continue working hard.
What a moment.
It’s amazing how strong men turn into little boys again when they are with their fathers.
Van Jefferson has had a rough go of things this season after a pre-season knee injury led to surgery and him missing the team’s first six games.
He has slowly eased into the offense this year following his elite breakout year in 2021 where he caught 50 passes for a total of 802 yards and six touchdowns.
Just like his father told him when he felt like he made it to the top of the world life threw another test his way.
But Van is clearly not alone, as his father seems hellbent on helping and encouraging his son even though they stood on opposing sidelines that night.
As for his father Shawn Jefferson, he knows what it takes to be a great football player.
He played 13 seasons in the NFL and appeared in 195 games while suiting up for 4 different teams along the way.
If there’s anyway whom you can trust when they talk about the adversity that an NFL player must overcome to have a great career, it is him.
Hopefully, this video can inspire some people to call up their own loved ones and offer a word of encouragement and say ‘I love you.’
If anything can be learned from this, it’s that just a few words of affirmation can go a long way toward making a loved one’s day immensely better.
By: Goose
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