Colorado Boy Featured On Upper Deck Card Signs Autographs
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - A young football fan who has been named an honorary player with the CSU Rams now has his own trading card.
Jack Miller, of Louisville, has been battling a brain tumor since he was 3. On Sunday he was presented with his own Upper Deck star rookie football card at Mike's Stadium Sports Cards in Aurora.
He also signed his card for fans in the store.
Jack read the message he asked get printed on his card to CBS4:
"I love being a Colorado State Ram. My favorite part is after they win a game and we all go to the locker room. Bernard Blake picks me up, puts me on his shoulders and we celebrate the win. I am so glad Friends of Jaclyn arranged for me to be adopted by the Rams."
Miller said he loved wearing the Rams helmet during the photo shoot, too.
Miller, a third grader, and gets treatments for his brain tumor at Children's Hospital. He was partnered up with Colorado State University through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation which pairs pediatric brain cancer patients with college athletic programs.
Last season Miller's partnership with the team included giving a speech to the entire team in the locker room before a game. He said he communicates with CSU players all the time, and loves getting emails in particular from cornerback Bernard Blake.
Blake, a senior, surprised Jack by showing up at Mike's for the card signing.
"I just came to support one of my teammates -- Jack. He's a big influence on everyone on the team," Blake told CBS4.
"With football there are injuries and adversity, and it's a battle, but Jack's fighting a battle that a lot of us never thought about being in. It's a situation where he smiles all the time despite not knowing what's coming next."
Blake said Upper Deck deserves credit for making the card for Miller.
"It is our goal to tell inspirational stories of brave young children suffering from this terrible disease while raising awareness and funds for the Friends of Jaclyn charity," Chris Carlin, Upper Deck's sports marketing manager, said in a prepared statement. "Jack Miller is an inspiration to the Colorado State Football team, his community and all who have been affected by pediatric brain cancer. He deserves his very own trading card."
LINK: A Kids' Brain Tumor Cure Foundation: Jack's Story
LINK: UpperDeckBlog.com
