FNN = Football News Now
RS Note: "If you look carefully at Colt Brennan in the picture above, you'll notice that he's wearing a purple bracelet on his right wrist. It's not just a fashion statement. The bracelet reads 'Keep Fighting' along with the letters SRB. Those are the initials of Sean Barnum, a 19 year old in Texas who was stabbed in the heart with a screwdriver last April."
About Sean Barnum's situation when he was stabbed, Colt said:
"He was a high school quarterback, looking to eventually go and work himself into a program somewhere. And I guess he was just a big fan of me when I was in college and -- I guess he wore my number, too -- and his brother-in-law [Justin Jemela] reached out to see if there's anything I could do." (RS, FNN)
About how Sean is a big fan of Colt's, Jemela said:
"Sean said that the first time he saw Colt play in Hawaii, he knew the guy was just awesome. He also told me that he didn't think Colt got the respect that he deserved and, in a way, I think Sean felt that no one gave him the credit he deserved as a quarterback." (FNN)
About how he contacted the Redskins on behalf of his brother-in-law Sean, Jemela said:
"I just wanted to do something that would make Sean smile, so we reached out to the Washington Redskins. Within an hour, they e-mailed and called us back." (FNN)
RS Note: "So, with help from the Redskins community relations department and a bunch of the other Redskins players, Brennan sent down an autographed football, a signed helmet, and a jersey to the family. And where plenty of athletes would've called it a day, Brennan has been trying to do more."
FNN Note: "What Brennan and the Redskins organization have done for this young man is impressive. With the help of the community relations department, Barnum received a football with 22 signatures of noteworthy NFL players. Brennan gave him his signed game day helmet and a No. 15 jersey made especially for him. But that's not all that the young man got – Brennan has given Sean some personal attention."
Jemela told the Katy Times that Colt:
"calls and text messages me almost every day just to see how Sean is doing. He'll even leave voicemails for me to play to Sean with words of encouragement." (RS)
About how it has been hard to talk with Sean but he's been able to get to know his family well, Colt said:
"I've only been able to talk to Sean once. His speech hasn't really come back yet. I've built a rapport with his family and I've kinda really come to admire and respect what he's been going through and what he's had to overcome." (RS, FNN)
About how he's supporting Sean, Colt said:
"I'm calling, I'm wearing the bracelet in practice, and I'm just kind of waiting for him to get better." (RS)
Happy to help with the communication between Sean and Colt, Jemela said:
"Colt Brennan calls and text messages me almost every day just to see how Sean is doing. He'll even leave voicemails for me to play to Sean with words of encouragement." (FNN)
FNN Note: "Brennan has gone above and beyond in my estimation. He could have stopped at the autographed helmet and jersey. He could have stopped at one text message. But he didn't. The things he has done for the young man may have given Barnum motivation and encouragement that can't even be measured. One just never knows."
FNN Note: "What Colt Brennan has done for Barnum shows that football players do have more on their minds than just football. They have foundations and charities and give of their time and money. In the face of a lot of the news that's out there today, let's not forget it."
Asked if Sean's situation puts his own roster struggle in perspective, Colt said:
"It absolutely does. You sit back and you hear something like this and you hear about what he's going through and it's kinda like his life's just been put on hold for a lot of things, until he can get better. You know, it makes you just feel really grateful to be where you are and to be doing what you're doing." (RS)
About the purple bracelet around his wrist, Colt said:
"It's not really my color or anything like that. It doesn't really go with my uniform too much. But if he goes on the internet one day and he sees me out there wearing that bracelet, he knows I'm thinking about him and maybe it'll be some more positive reinforcement for him. He's definitely on the path to the recovery, it's just a very tough and slow path right now." (RS)
http://blog.redskins.com/2010/06/25/colt-brennan-reaches-out-to-a-fan-in-need/
http://www.footballnewsnow.com/2010/colt-brennan-redskins-go-above-and-beyond/
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