NFL star honors promise he made to 10-year-old boy who saved his sister in plane crash

Celebrities often face criticism for not keeping their promises, but Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown proved otherwise. After his team’s Super Bowl LIX victory, Brown made a heartfelt visit to 10-year-old Andre “Trey” Howard III, a recent plane crash survivor, fulfilling the young fan’s dream of meeting him, reported CBS. Prior to this, the 27-year-old athlete had praised Trey on X (@1kalwaysopen_) for his heroic act—shielding his younger sister during the January 31 crash.

Calling Trey a “hero,” Brown wrote in his post, “I’m going to come see you when I get back. Hopefully, with some hardware. Playing for you on Sunday, my man.” The Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver declared that he would dedicate his Super Bowl performance to the young fan for his brave act. While protecting his sister, the 10-year-old boy, who had earlier wished to attend the Super Bowl victory parade, suffered a major injury when a piece of metal debris embedded itself in his head. With slim chances of survival, Trey underwent surgery, which was successful. When he finally woke up, he had two questions for his father, Andre Howard.

Trey’s first question upon waking up was whether his sister was okay. His second? Whether he had missed the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl game. Meanwhile, Brown came across the young Eagles fan's story through the local press. Being a father himself, he promised to meet him after the match with the Kansas City Chiefs. Brown “kept his word,” Trey’s dad said, as reported by NBC News. Moreover, the family shared heartwarming pictures of their meeting with the footballer on Facebook. Howard was reportedly surprised when the hospital’s management called him to inform him about a visitor eagerly waiting to meet his son.

"Just with my son walking, being able to have a conversation with A.J. Brown,” Howard told the outlet after they met the athlete. Describing it as an “iconic moment,” Trey’s father added, “These are things that I look at as a dad.” The kid’s mom, Lala Sayon Hamiel, took to Facebook to praise Brown for bringing momentary joy to the family’s life in the aftermath of the tragic Jet Rescue Air Ambulance crash in northeast Philadelphia. “Thank you for being a man of your word. By great surprise on this day, my son was beyond grateful to meet you. You caught us all by surprise. For my son, who usually talks so much, you had him smiling from ear to ear and mute. I felt his heart pounding through his chest,” she wrote, adding how Brown went out of his way to call Saquon Barkley so the kid could chat with another team player. 

In the pictures, a smiling Trey, donning an Eagles jersey, posed with Brown. To make their young fan feel special, the athlete brought some gifts from the team, including the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Meanwhile, the boy’s mom’s heartfelt post managed to draw widespread attention on social media, with people appreciating Brown for his kind gesture. Among the countless reactions it received, Doris West remarked, “It's such a blessing to see him up and looking well. It was so awesome to see A.J. Brown take time to keep his promise to superhero Andre Howard.” “That is the greatest gift a kid can receive. That is awesome. Andre looks so happy,” Andrew Ian Ostroff wrote echoing similar sentiments.