By: Dallas Bowlin, Senior Staff Writer, Junior Editor
Photo | Athlon Sports
I’m sure we all remember idolizing our favorite players growing up. For me personally, it was Chris Lofton. I loved seeing him drain three after three on opposing defenses while they were visibly distraught. For eight-year-old Raylan Clifton, it’s all about Vols receiver Jalin Hyatt.
Raylan’s mother, Erica, posted a video of her son opening a Christmas present: a framed photo of Hyatt running away from the Alabama defense for one of the five touchdowns he scored that day. Raylan's huge smile quickly turned to tears as emotions overwhelmed him. The video has since gone viral, catching the attention of the Hyatt family. At around 1:30 PM on Christmas Day, Jalin would retweet the video with a caption that read: "I love it! Somebody find me his parents info. I got a gift for him! Merry Christmas!"
Moments like these are what make college football, and college sports in general, special. Though Hyatt’s playing career at Tennessee may be over, he will continue to be an exceptional ambassador for the Vols at the professional level.