Stetson gridder gives struggling woman $100 to pay for groceries
His name is Trezdun Jackson. You won't find him on any All-America teams. However, he likely deserves to be at the top of everyone's list when it comes to athletes who get it at a time when those who don't commandeer the headlines.
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel wrote about the Stetson defensive back and his act of generosity:
"I have been blessed with the most generous act of kindness my soul has ever witnessed," the woman wrote in her email to Stetson University's athletic department. "I am a local DeLand resident who is very grateful for what I have, but honest to say, I don't have much. While I was finishing up some shopping with my five children at Wal-Mart, I went to the checkout counter and was informed my food stamps were not valid and I did not have more than $20 to my name.
"I immediately burst into tears and begged the cashier for mercy when out of nowhere a young man wearing a Stetson football shirt handed $100 and left his groceries behind him. I the young man's name was Trezdun Jackson. I was so overwhelmed with this act that I didn't really have a chance to properly thank him. Please relay this message to the young man and let him know that his help will never be forgotten, and we are more than extremely grateful for the money he gave us."
Jackson said the choice to help the woman out was simple.
"The items in my cart were irrelevant," Jackson said. "She had kids she was trying to feed. You could tell she was having a rough time of it. I didn't really think about it; it just seemed like the right thing to do."
"Men are supposed to protect women, not abuse them. I love my mother and my sister, and it's hard for me to understand how a man could hit a woman like Ray Rice did. It ruins your image of NFL players. I don't understand how you could be living a dream and then throw it away by hitting your wife. That's crazy."
According to the Sentinel, Jackson chose Stetson because of the educational opportunities the school provided.
"I want to be a lawyer, and Stetson has a great law school," says Jackson, who had a 3.75 GPA in high school. "That was a big draw for me."