NFL
A 12-Year-Old Philadelphia Eagles Fan Battling a Rare Genetic Disorder Sent Dak Prescott the Sweetest Message You’ll Ever See
It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles haven’t always gotten along. The two teams first played one another in 1960 and have had some fierce battles over the past six decades. Their rivalry has been voted as one of the best in the NFL on numerous occasions but 12-year-old Giovanni Hamilton, a die-hard Eagles fan who has a rare genetic disorder, has proven that some things are bigger than a rivalry by sending a heartwarming message to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who just saw his season come to an end following a gruesome ankle injury.
Dak Prescott suffered a horrific ankle injury against the Giants
In the third quarter of the Dallas Cowboys’ Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants, Dak Prescott suffered one of the most gruesome ankle injuries you’ll ever see, which occurred at the end of a scramble as the Cowboys QB got tangled up with Giants safety Logan Ryan. Prescott’s right foot got caught in the turf and his leg bent in a way that it shouldn’t, causing a compound fracture and dislocation.
In quite the emotional scene, Dak Prescott was carted off the field at AT&T Stadium and immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where he underwent surgery on Sunday night. He’s expected to be out of action for four to six months but is expected to make a full recovery. Prescott’s brother posted a picture of Dak following the procedure and the two-time Pro Bowler seemed to be in good spirits.
Eagles fans haven’t always been kind to the Cowboys
There’s no getting around it. Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles haven’t always been the greatest, especially to the Dallas Cowboys. Are they passionate? Absolutely. There’s no denying that they’re some of the most passionate fans in the world. But are they always respectful? Yeah, not so much.
In a 1989 game in which the Cowboys were in Philly, a game the Eagles were actually winning at the time, Eagles fans began pelting Dallas players (and referees and broadcasters as well) with snowballs and iceballs, which apparently stemmed from accusations from former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson that the Eagles had put a bounty on Troy Aikman when the two teams met two weeks earlier.
10 years later, Hall of Fame Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin went down with a spinal injury against the Eagles that would ultimately cost him his career. And what did Eagles fans do when Irvin was motionless on the ground? They cheered. Things got so bad that Philly players even asked their fans to stop, which didn’t happen.
These are just a couple of instances in which Eagles fans have been disrespectful toward the Cowboys (and there are certainly plenty of instances of horrible behavior against other teams) but 12-year-old Giovanni Hamilton’s gesture to Dak Prescott certainly flips the script.
The Eagles’ ‘biggest’ fan sent a touching ‘get well’ message to Dak Prescott
Giovanni Hamilton, a 12-year-old from Muncy, Pennsylvania, loves the Philadelphia Eagles, especially quarterback Carson Wentz. Ahead of last season, ESPN reported that Hamilton, who has a rare genetic disorder known as Schwartz-Jampel syndrome, which his mother describes as a combination of muscular dystrophy and dwarfism, was a guest at Eagles training camp, where he got to meet Wentz, whom he called his “hero.”
But Hamilton’s focus was on another quarterback this week. He saw what happened to Dak Prescott on Sunday afternoon and took to Twitter to send the Cowboys QB a touching message before the latter went into surgery. Hamilton himself has had a dozen surgeries over the last decade and he simply wanted to wish Dak Prescott well.
“Hey, guys. I just heard that Dak Prescott got hurt, and it sucks. I’m the biggest Eagles fan there is and, you know, you never want to see that happen.
“Dak, I hope you see this, brother. I hope you’re doing okay. I’ve been through a lot of pain, I can’t even imagine, that looked like it really hurt. I heard you’re going into surgery and I wish you luck. I hope you get that comeback story you deserve.”
Giovanni Hamilton to Dak Prescott
Kudos to you, Mr. Hamilton. Thanks for reminding all of us that there’s still so much good in the world.