NFL rookie's heartwarming 4th-grade letter to his teacher is the most wholesome thing ever

Many youngsters dream of finding great success in the world of professional football. They become focused on their goal from a very young age and begin to work hard for it, with a few achieving their dream. Ennis Rakestraw Jr was one such individual who aspired to and eventually became a football player, which he expressed in a wholesome letter to his teacher, Mr. Gammon, when he was in the fourth grade, as reported by NBCDFW. The teacher found the short and sweet note when he got back to his classroom after outside duty on the last day of school. 

The math teacher said, "Somehow, Ennis had snuck back into the building, I'm not sure how, and that letter was sitting there, and I read it." The letter, which the teacher kept safe all these years, has been shared by Rakestraw on X, where it has 490.2K views and 8K likes. It read, "You are the best teacher ever. You always had and have my back and you give me confidence." He wrote in the caption, "4th grade I made this commitment and if I make a promise. I'll keep it no matter how difficult it is." The letter mentioned how Gammon even provided him with food and snacks at one point.

Young Rakestraw expressed in the letter that he did not want to leave his teacher and that he hoped he would come to see him at his new school. However, the most important part of the letter is the 4th grader's promise, which read, "I hope you miss me like I miss you, and I hope you're alive because if I make it to be a professional football player, I will talk about you." Shockingly enough, he went on to become a professional football player and delivered on his promise to his beloved teacher. Gammon pointed out how it was really special that Rakestraw had such clarity about his goals in life and also achieved them.

The teacher was also present at Rakestraw's draft party in Lancaster to partake in the celebration, a photo of which NFL shared on their Instagram. Gammon wanted people to know that he was not some special teacher. He spoke about how every educator had such objectives in mind for their students and that they would all "go above and beyond" for their students. The football star's mother, Shamika Jones, said that Gammon was a big influence on her son and that he helped build confidence within him. The mother shared hope that her son's letter and his story of perseverance would inspire others to pursue their dreams. 

People who saw the post on X were deeply inspired and shared their thoughts in the comments section. @GI_Joe317 commented, "Belief. It's powerful what the human mind and determination of the soul can accomplish if undeterred and unwavering." @maiorana473 expressed, "I hope you learned a lot over the years, but man, one big thing I hope you learned. It's never goodbye, it's I'll see you later. I look forward to your career. May it be long, healthy and fruitful." @JoeFerrara77 highlighted, "Wow, for him to still have that letter that many years later should really mean something to you, Ennis. Great story."