Much to his surprise
Dion Sims Jersey , a $50 act of kindness made Arizona Cardinals tight end Jermaine Gresham an internet hero.
"It was crazy," he said after the Cardinals went through voluntary workouts Tuesday. "I really wasn't expecting it."
It all started when Gresham was standing in line behind Delilah Cassidy at an American Airlines gate at Los Angeles International Airport.
He could hear her being told that under the airline's policy, she had to pay $25 for each of two carry-ons that wouldn't fit under her seat. She had cash but it wasn't accepted at the gate so she was in danger of missing her flight. So Gresham pulled out his credit card and paid, a random act of kindness.
"That's pretty much what it was," he said. "I hope anyone would have done that. I don't know. I just felt that's how I was raised, my core values. Somebody in distress, just help them out. Nothing more, nothing less."
To say Cassidy was grateful is an understatement.
"She was very nice," Gresham said. "She was very, very
Greg Zuerlein Jersey , very appreciative. She thanked me I want to say maybe 20 times."
She told azcentral that she was in tears as she boarded the plane.
"I gave him this huge hug," she said. "I was crying into Jermaine Gresham. I didn't know it was him."
Cassidy said that when they landed, she offered to pay him in cash but he declined and told her to pay it forward.
She had her photo taken with Gresham and told her story on Twitter.
It went viral.
Gresham had no idea until he heard from a Cardinals employee who follows such things.
"He said, 'You're a viral sensation,' I said, 'For what? I didn't get arrested,'" Gresham said. "He sent me this picture and everything and I was like, 'Oh, wow.'"
He seemed surprised that what he considered a small gesture wound up being such a big deal.
"I was right there," he said. "I had my wallet in my pocket. Just here
T. J. Carrie Jersey , swipe my card. It's 50 bucks. Catch your flight. There wasn't much to it."
Gresham, who is recovering from Achilles tendon surgery, said he made a great investment.
"I hope everybody in the world would do something like that," Gresham said. "Seeing her smile and her appreciation was worth it 10 times over."
Of course he couldn't escape some gentle ribbing from teammates.
"That's the Walter Payton Man of the Year right there," offensive tackle D.J. Humphries said as he walked by.
KIRK SPEAKS: Rookie wide receiver Christian Kirk spoke to reporters for the first time since reports surfaced of his Feb. 3 arrest outside the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament on charges of destruction of property and disorderly conduct. He and a friend had been accused of throwing rocks at cars. Police said Kirk appeared intoxicated at the time.
The charges were later dropped.
"Obviously there was a negative response to it," Kirk, a second-round draft pick out of Texas A&M, said of the publicity surrounding the incident. "But you've just got to block those things out and hold true to who you are and move on."
Kirk was a top high school prospect born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Cardinals said they knew of the arrest when they drafted him but said they were confident it was not indicative of a larger problem.
"I told them the truth and they trusted in me, trusted in the type of person I was
La'el Collins Jersey ," he said.
Now it's back to football on a team where he figures to play a significant role.
"I'm just really happy it's all cleared up," Kirk said. "I'm just glad to be back and showing people I am what I am."
George Hill has gone from point guard to point grad in the NBA playoffs.
Cleveland’s starting guard missed practice Saturday and had a good excuse for his absence – he graduated from college.
Hill received his diploma from IUPUI and took part in commencement ceremonies in Indianapolis while his teammates got in one last workout before heading to Boston for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The 32-year-old Hill, who played for the Jaguars from 2004-08, a received his degree from the School of Liberal Arts. He was one of two student speakers to address the new graduates.
On his Twitter account, Hill showed off a ”Jaguars” tattoo on his left arm.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Hill would rejoin the team in time for the series opener Sunday against the Celtics.
Hill joined the Cavs in February, coming over in a trade from Sacramento. He was slowed by back spasms and missed three games in the first round of the playoffs against Indiana, but returned and played a key role in the Cavs’ Game 7 win as well as Cleveland’s four-game sweep of Toronto.
Hill, who also played in the postseason for San Antonio and Indiana, has helped settle a troubling position for the Cavs. Cleveland traded All-Star guard Kyrie Irving last summer to Boston and have used numerous point guards this season.
The Cavs struggled without him against the Pacers, but Hill returned for the series finale. Although he was on a minutes’ restriction
Logan Thomas Jersey , he scored 11 points – all in the second half – and helped Cleveland advance.
”He’s been great,” Lue said. ”Just coming into Game 7 versus Indiana where he hadn’t played in 3 games, to come out and play the half of basketball that he played, he was tremendous. So, just his experience of being in the playoffs, being in the Eastern Conference finals when he played for Indiana, playing against the Miami teams, he knows what it’s about. So, it’s great having a veteran like that on the team.”
—
LeBron James Jersey ,