Safety Jordan Poyer was at the Bills facility on Tuesday when he received a letter from twelve-year-old Logan Neri. The thoughtful letter expressed the sixth grader's gratitude for the impact Poyer has had on his behavior and sportsmanship.
Part of the letter read, "I want you to know that I believe that the struggles you go through are challenging, but you have made a difference in me and impacted my actions these past months to continue to do my best and persevere. You have made a difference because the way you play makes me want to play football as a safety or D lineman. You also show me how to be a good teammate and use proper sportsmanship. I know you may not always be in the spotlight, but in my opinion, having good sportsmanship puts you in the spotlight too."
After reading Neri's kind words , Poyer's initial reaction was shared through a video on Twitter. The safety, who was appreciative of the letter, encouraged Neri to keep going one day at a time and not to let anybody affect his emotions.
Poyer also mentioned that he hoped to connect soon — and it didn't take long for that to happen.
"For a sixth grader, it just touched my heart as I read it, and I was just reading up on his story a little bit," Poyer said. "I had just finished the day here at work. I hit my team up and said 'Hey, where's this kid go to school?' East Aurora Middle School. It's 20 minutes away, and would they mind if I came in and brightened his spirits up, try to be a positive light."
Just a few hours after the video was posted on Twitter, Poyer showed up to East Aurora Middle School to surprise the young fan. Neri was in the middle of swim class when he learned that there was a special guest waiting to talk to him down the hall. Poyer greeted Neri with a big hug and a signed jersey, and then took some time to talk with him before he had to return to the classroom.
"Logan, he's a good kid and you can tell he's got a great spirit about him," Poyer said. "It was awesome to be a part of … It turned into something bigger than I had thought it was going to be. It was just super special to even be able to have that opportunity to go and see that kid's face."
