A young child tosses a football through the dense Georgia air as a receiver stands in the distance. The ball whizzes into a father’s gentle hands and a smile crosses his face. Every Saturday, a father-son duo pretended they were on the game’s biggest stage, with seconds left on the clock.
Years later, former Gophers linebacker Jonathan Celestin is steps away from the NFL with his dad watching from the best seat in the house. His son’s maroon and gold No. 13 jersey on his back, the same one he wore almost every day.
In the face of tragedy, the bond between a father and son was stronger than ever.