“Zion,” 8-year old Kendall Pereira yelled across to the tunnel that leads to the Washington locker room.   “ZION! ZIIIIIOOOON!!!  Sign my hand!”

It was about 20 minutes since Husky kicker Peyton Henry had split the uprights for the game-winning field goal.  Yet there was the Huskies’ Zion Tupuola-Fetui, taking kid’s phones and doing selfies with them, signing footballs—signing whatever was handed to him, including the 8-year girl from Bothell’s hand.

In the distance, down the darkened tunnel, the blasting of Prince’s “Purple Rain” from the Husky locker room was long over.  And Midnight was closing in.

Many Husky players had showered, some were making their way to various post-game interviews but the 2020 All-American rush end, with his Sharpie in hand, was making his way around the opening of the tunnel to every kid possible–including Kendall on her 8th birthday.

The actions of ZTF and that of receivers Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and of offensive lineman Henry Bainivalu and the 20 or so other players who had done the same thing earlier, showed that they just get “it”:  It’s not about their “star power”.  It’s not about “building a brand”.  It’s not about “NIL opportunities”.

What “it” is is paying it back and paying it forward at the same time.  They’re returning the love that was shown to them as youngsters starting their football journeys.

And by paying it forward these Husky players building a life-long connection for these kids and Husky Football.

In 20 years those kids probably won’t remember the wind, the 92-yard drive at the end, the field goal to win it, or even the 20-minute delay of the game.

What Kendall will remember, as she’s walking to Husky Stadium some Saturday morning, holding her own kid’s hand, she’ll tell them “one time on my birthday…..”

ZTF may have signed something for all of those kids but he’s also indelibly written on their hearts.