Zaevion Dobson might not be a household name like some of the other athletes who have won ESPY Awards on Wednesday night, but his story is every bit as incredible. Back in December, the Tennessee high school football player was shot and killed after he helped shield three girls from gunfire during a shooting. It’s why ESPN chose to honor him with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, which has been given to people like Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, and Pat Summitt in the past.
Prior to giving out the award, ESPN asked Steph Curry to help introduce Dobson:
They also called on Michael B. Jordan to help narrate Dobson’s story:
And after that was finished, Dobson’s mother took the stage at the ESPYs to accept the Arthur Ashe Courage Award on his behalf. She spoke about the importance of gun control in light of what happened to her son:
Some of Dobson’s former Fulton High School teammates were in the house to show support for Dobson’s family:
His school sent out this tweet following the award presentation:
And the White House also sent out a tweet to pay homage to Dobson’s heroic actions:
What an amazing story.
