Avery Johnson An Inspiration For Kansas State Superfan Battling Dwarfism
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson is a great football player.
He's also a great person.
Kansas State fan Mike Stanley recently shared a story proving that. Stanley's son, Brody, was
born with a rare form of dwarfism called Diastrophic Dysplasia. An Internet troll thought it was funny to make a joke about Brody.
So the father decided to turn it into a positive by explaining Johnson's impact on Brody's life.
Before Avery Johnson ever put on a Kansas State uniform he heard Brody‘s story and saw that he had a relationship with the K-State staff and players," Mike Stanley posted on X. "Brody had just had surgery on his legs, and Avery asked if he could come over and meet Brody and see if he could lift his spirits. Avery and his family showed up to our house with a couple of Transformers toys for Brody knowing that they were his favorite. He also showed up with a mermaid toy for my daughter. They invited us to a game at Maize his senior season where we were welcomed onto the sidelines, and he took the time to come over and make Brody feel special even in the middle of a game."
Instead of that joke, let’s make the real story go viral. Before Avery Johnson ever put on a Kansas State uniform he heard Brody‘s story and saw that he had a relationship with the K-State staff and players. Brody had just had surgery on his legs, and Avery asked if he could come… pic.twitter.com/QiMpiUlEaQ
— Mike Stanley (@Stanimal032) October 20, 2024
This is nothing new for Johnson. It was highlighted earlier this season how he has helped raise money for his high school principal Chris Botts, who is battling cancer. He has even remained in the corner of Brody.
"Since then, Avery always makes a point to come see Brody when we make it up to a practice or event," Stanley wrote. "Avery is different from your average college football player in all the best ways. Sure, he’s an incredible football player. But he’s a better person."
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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