Jacob Tamme, Fancy Meeting You Here.

It’s kids’ consignment sale season, one of my favorite times of the year.  A friend and I were both gushing about our love for consignment sales once, and we tried to explain it to our husbands by saying it was our equivalent of their Fantasy Football drafts.  Pure, giddy anticipation in hopes that you’d come away with an awesome team/really great steals.

Now, as much as I love the sales, I do love my football as well.  So you can imagine my own giddiness when I found myself in line next to an actual NFL player at a kids’ consignment sale.  

I was shopping the sale with my friend Kelly, and when it came time to stand in line we went our seperate ways – she to the line for credit cards and me to the line for paying with cash.  The line was ridiculously long, so I settled in for the wait by pulling out my phone and checking Twitter.

I follow a few Colts players on Twitter, including Colts Tight End Jacob Tamme.  His latest tweet showed up on my phone, in which he bemoaned the fact that he was stuck in a huge line at a kids’ consignment sale, and why on earth didn’t he get popcorn on the way in?  I look at my phone, and look up at the tall man and his pregnant wife in front of me.  I do this several times before I realize that, yes, Jacob Tamme is standing in front of me.  It takes me a few more minutes to work up the courage to actually say something to him.

I tried to think of something smooth and witty to say, but settled on holding my phone up to his face and saying, “Hey, is this you?”  I know, classy.

Thankfully, he and his wife are quite classy and, after he got over the initial shock/weirdness of being accosted by a Twitter follower we had a nice chat in line.  Like, a 20-minute chat.  I told you the line was insane.  But hoo-boy, I’ve never been so happy for a long line.  Maybe they were ready to get the heck away from me, but I thoroughly enjoyed talking with them.  Mr. Tamme is quite the gentlemen, and his wife is so nice, and so very pregnant with their first child.  

We talked a bit about training camp, and I told them that I actually met Jacob there last year.  He made a strong impression on me then, for the way he treated a young fan.  A boy of about 10 or 11 was getting something signed.  He had a cast on his arm, and he told Jacob that he didn’t know if he’d feel like playing again.  Jacob told him about breaking a bone when he was quite a bit older, and that even through that injury he was able to come back and play.  You could see the boy’s eyes light up with a glimmer of hope.  I thought it was so cool.

His wife asked me how my kids liked training camp, and I told her that I didn’t take them last year.  We’d gone the year before, and even though they had fun, they were disappointed not to get any autographs.  It was hot and the lines were unbearably long for a 7-year-old and a toddler.  Without missing a beat, Jacob offered to send them a little something.

And so one week later, an envelope appeared in our mailbox.  An envelope whose contents made two kids very, very happy.

The wristbands and pictures have already made the rounds at Show-and-Tell.  Eli loves wearing his wristband, especially with his Colts helmet.

Thanks, Mr. Tamme, for being such a good guy.  Sure, you gave us some great football last season, and believe me, we love to see you succeed on the field.  But seeing you shine off the field?  That’s an equally commendable accomplishment.