Since some here don't know the story here is how it goes.
If you are a parent, you will understand this statement. If you are not, you wont *fully* get it.
It really had less to do with anything he said or did, but it had to more to do with how it made my daughter feel.
She used to sit with me and watch the Ravens play when she was little. She would make notes on what players did good, and what players did not. If a player got hurt she would pray for them and make them a get well card. We always sent the cards to the Castle, but never got a response.
It was Webbys rookie season. She may have been six or seven at the time She made notes that this guy was pretty good ( they said his name a lot ) then he got hurt. As always she made him a get well card. Before we had the opportunity to send it I found out he was going to be at a signing at the Mall near where we live. I had been to a lot of signings before, but never with her. I asked her if she wanted to hand deliver the card to Lardarius Webb. She was super excited about the idea. She had never met a Raven before.
I figured Webb being a rookie, without a lot of fanfare, I would just be able to buy my ticket the day of the event. Unfortunately I was wrong. We got there and it was SOLD OUT !!
My daughter looked devastated. I explained to the guy at the door that my daughter made him a get well card and I wanted to know if she could just give it to him . He said it wasn't his decision. He weant and talked to some guy who I can only assume was his manager. He kept pointing at us and looking over at us. The manager guy came up to me and asked me to confirm the details has he was told. I confirmed. He looked at my daughter and said " Sure go ahead and give it to him. "
I could see all that was happening from the door. She went up and waited till the guy in front was done and she handed Webb the home made card. ( It was so cute. It was all cut out stuff with construction paper and stickers. It was almost 3-D ) He opened the card and smiled ear to ear. Webby was beaming. Bad knee and all he hobbled around the table and gave her a big hug. The agent guy smiled at me and said "She is a good kid. Here. " and he handed me a FREE ticket for the signing.
She comes back and she is on cloud ten. We are talking Christmas morning level happy here. I said " Hey look what I got. " showing her the ticket. "We can get an autograph too !!?!?! " " Yup. "
So we go to,,,,, the,,,,,end ,,,, of ,,,,, the,,,,, line. So about an hour and a half later, ( it was a very long line ) we get back to the table and Webb says " It is my friend !!!!! " ( Normally we just buy an 8X10 there at the event ) Webb saw the 8X10 and said "No. " Grabbed a football and wrote
"Dear Arielle, thanks for the card. Your friend always, Lardarius Webb 21"
Man for weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks, THIS is all she ever talked about. Her Raven fandom multiplied. ( Daddy happy )
We were impressed, all three of us got Webb jerseys.
It was about four years later, he was doing another signing in the area. We decided to go. A kid grows up a lot in four years so she looked VERY different. ( I got tickets in advance this time ) so we get up to the table, and I saw "Hey Webb, do you remember this kid? " He is struggling, I am sure by now 100's if not 1,000's of kids has crossed his path, so I bailed him out pretty quickly. "Your rookie season she made you a get well card .... " he interrupts me " Oh yeah !!!! " and he described the card. He said that it is still in his locker today. ( now I realize there is a strong possibility that is a lie, but I don't really care. It made my kid beam for weeks ) Once again, Webby made my kid feel incredible. He made my kid excited about football and The Ravens. He made my kid happy. If you have kids, you know there is nothing better than that.
The photo above is actually a third meeting. They chit-chatted like old friends for a minute or two.
That is why Webb is my favorite Raven.