I've shared these before, but it's been awhile. Since they are talking about what a great guy he is on MNF, I thought I'd share again.

We went to the Spring Game after his freshman year. I saw his family in the stands after the game, so I went to talk to them, mostly to thank them for sharing their son with Cougar Nation. They told me a funny story. Before Jamaal's freshman season began, his uncle, wanting to motivate Jamaal to work hard and succeed, promised Jamaal that he would pay him $100 for every TD he scored his freshman season. They said the uncle (and really the entire family) hoped he might get 1 or 2 in garbage time. Well, the starting RB (M. Alisa, I think), went down with injury. Jamaal was promoted and ended up scoring 11 TDs his freshman year, 4 in the GT game alone. $1,100. The family said that, as of that Spring Game, the debt still had not been paid. LOL.

After Jamaal graduated and was playing for the Packers, he was back in Provo to visit friends or maybe run the flag out for a game. We ran into him at a breakfast place in Orem. My teenage son, who is a huge Jamaal fan, could hardly contain himself. Jamaal was walking out as we were walking in. He was carrying his baby girl. It turns out he was coming out to change her diaper. He just opened the trunk of his car, laid her down in the back and proceeded to change her diaper. All while my son stood within about 3 feet of him, looking over his shoulder. (My son didn't have a great sense of personal space at the time.) Once I realized what was happening, I had to yank my son away so that Jamaal had at least a shred of privacy to take care of his business. Once he was done with the diaper, and despite our intrusion, he walked over to us, chatted for 5 minutes or so, and stood for a bunch of pictures. He could not have been more gracious and engaging. It was a great moment for my son.

I was always a huge Jamaal fan, for all kinds of reasons, but it was even a little more personal after this experience. He's a tremendous person and Cougar Nation is lucky to have had him at BYU.