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Super Bowl 53 tickets aren’t exactly cheap, but Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks wasn’t going to spare any expense to awesomely surprise a team custodian and his son by hooking them up with two tickets to the game. Talk about a major league bro move, right?
Cooks, who played in last year’s Super Bowl as a member of the New England Patriots but got knocked out by a vicious hit, is in his first season with the Rams, and, after the team acquired him, the wideout received a five-year, $81 million extension — so it’s not as if he’s cash strapped or anything. Still, there will be a lot of multimillionaires on both sides of the field in Super Bowl 53, yet Cooks was the one who wanted to make sure he showed appreciation to a custodian.
So, what prompted Brandin Cooks to surprise the custodian — named Alfonso Garcia — and his son Joshua? Simply put, he just thought it would be a nice thing to do, because Alfonso keeps the facility in such good condition for the players. Take a look at the big surprise in the video below, which was posted by the Rams’ Twitter account.
It takes a team to achieve the dream. @brandincooks had a little surprise for Alfonso, who keeps our facility in tip-top shape. 💙 #SBLIII pic.twitter.com/rzx92ROUi8
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 24, 2019
Super Bowl 53 tickets are one thing, but, with Cooks knowing how expensive flight and accommodations can be, he took care of all that for the Garcia’s, too. That’s a pretty sick hook up if you ask me.
While Brandin Cooks didn’t publicize or draw attention to his act of kindness, his fellow receiver, Robert Woods, revealed the story to reporters when asked a question about how influential Cooks has been since joining the Rams during the offseason. Here’s what he had to say, per USA Today.
“I walked by and just happened to see that encounter,” Woods said. “That’s the type of teammate he is, and a leader.”
Once word leaked about the Super Bowl 53 tickets, of course Cooks got asked why he chose the custodian, Alfonso, to be the lucky recipient. His reply is below, per USA Today, and it’s pretty cool to see.
“Oh, man, Alfonso – the guy is special, man. He keeps our locker room in tip-top shape. He has such a special soul. Someone that I found myself drawn to once I got there and I see him around the facility all the time. I just felt like it would be special for him to see that he is a part of this success as well, and I wanted him to be able to be at the Super Bowl with his son to enjoy that.”
Good on you, Brandin Cooks, because, while the wide receiver didn’t need to do something like this, showing an employee thanks in any way is awesome. Hopefully Alfonso and his son, Josh, get to see a great Super Bowl.