Riding shotgun with Joe Burrow: Young Bengals fan meets team, head coach at practice
By Danielle Dindak
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CINCINNATI (WLWT) — The dream of hanging out with Coach Zac Taylor, Joe Burrow, and nearly half a dozen Bengals players became a reality for a young member of Who Dey Nation.
In early December, Calvin Theetge and his father, Derrick Theetge, attended a practice hoping to get up close to the team.
According to Derrick, word got around to Coach Taylor, who, along with team members, caught up with the 10-year-old.
“Coach Taylor came over and said, ‘Hey Calvin’ then Joe Burrow pulled up with his crew, and he was like, ‘Hey, come on sit up here,'” Derrick said.
The Bengals’ star quarterback invited the 10-year-old to sit inside his golf cart.
“I got to sit next to Joe Burrow on his golf cart, and we had a little conversation,” Calvin said.
Calvin called Burrow, his buddy, and said they talked about the Bengals.
“It made me feel cool,” Calvin said.
Calvin got to take a picture with the squad.
The third grader has been a giant Bengals fan his entire life. He has all of the players’ football cards and knows their statistics.
Calvin also has multiple jerseys and other Bengals merchandise.
“He also happens to have Down syndrome, but he’s a lot like other kids and does everything they can do,” Calvin’s mother, Joy Theetge, said.
Who Dey gamedays are a family affair in the Theetge household. After meeting, team members watching a Bengals game have become all the more special.
Calvin spent time with head coach Zach Taylor and players, including Burrow, Ja’marr Chase, Jessie Bates, Brandon Allen, and Jake Browning.
A few minutes with the team turned into a lasting memory.
For the Theetges, the picture is worth a thousand words.
“It melts my heart seeing it and seeing how they just took a couple of minutes and blessed him with that time,” Derrick said. “He’ll never forget it.”
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