The Clemson Tigers are hours away from playing the biggest game of their season.
The Tigers will play basically a road game against LSU in New Orleans, Louisiana, for the College Football Playoff national championship.
While the players were locked in and focused on their assignments for the upcoming showdown with LSU, Trevor Lawrence and other Clemson Tiger players took some time out to brighten the day of a young cancer patient.
Making a Difference
During the media day for both LSU and Clemson both teams were available to answer questions and approach the media before the biggest game of the college football season takes place.
However, when Clemson took the stage at media day, there was an obvious line formed around one fan.
The Tigers players were waiting in line to speak to a special fan in the front row of the stands.
16- year old, Jaeden Jackson was the kid the Clemson players were drawn to. Jackson was able to come see the Tigers in the national championship game because of the Make-A-Wish foundation.
Brightening A Child’s Day
Jackson was diagnosed with Leukemia and is said to have been getting treatments for his cancer for close to a year and a half now.
“Our whole family just loves [college football],” Jackson told WSFA News. “We watch it more than professional because we just like football.”
Jackson and his family live thousands of miles away from Clemson, South Carolina. Yet, their ties to the Clemson Football program are strong because of Jackson’s doctor.
“Dr. Thompson is his oncologist and he went to school at Clemson so that’s what we’re excited for, ” said Jackson’s mother, Brittany Baker. ” It’s just nice to get away from reality for a little while, all the appointments and treatments and just to see Jaeden thrive and have a good time doing something we all love as a family.”
As Jackson and his family, spoke to multiple Clemson players and gained many autographs throughout the day, they were still holding out hope for one special player to introduce himself.
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence got word that the teenager was waiting for him and the ACC standout took it upon himself to introduce himself to Jackson and his family.
Lawrence asked if Jackson was going to the game and signed the football that Jackson and his family had brought to media day.
Jackson told WSFA that meeting Lawrence was “amazing”. Having the ability to shake to talk to the Clemson star and shake his hand was an experience that Jackson won’t soon forget.
Clemson will try to become the first team to win back to back national championships in the college football playoff era and only the second team to repeat as college football national champions in the last ten seasons when they take on LSU Monday night.