Chicago Bears' rookie J.T. Thomas steps in as a prom date : May 23, 2011

Bears' rookie J.T. Thomas steps in as a prom date

Posted by Will Brinson : May 23, 2011

Generally, you wouldn't want to hear that an NFL player went out on date with an eighth-grader. But that's not the case with this story out of Morgantown, W.Va. That's where Bears rookie and former Mountaineer J.T. Thomas stepped in and took Joslyn Levell, who suffers from spina bifida, to her prom.

Thomas, whose autistic brother rides the same school bus as Levell, met her while dropping his brother off at the bus stop.

Turns out, Levell, who happens to be a big Bears fan, had been unable to secure a date for the prom and told the NFL player about it.

"I hugged her and signed a few things and we talked for awhile and she cried a bit," Thomas said. "I gave her a hug and told her everything would work itself out."

It sure did. Thomas' stepmom, Rochelle, checked with the school to see if it'd be all right for Thomas to escort Levell. Once they were clear, he asked her to the dance.

"I was nervous that by the time I reached out she might have had a date and would have to turn me down," he said.

Obviously she didn't, and they went to the dance together this past Friday, where Levell may or may not have emphasized her date's stature as an NFL player.

"The first thing one of the boys who was mean to me came up to me and said, 'I'm sorry I didn't believe you,' " Levell said. "It was soooo exciting. I'm just so excited to go to school and see what everyone has to say."

And the best part of all is that Thomas didn't do this to generate publicity.

"This was Joslyn's night," Thomas said. "It wasn't about me."

Certainly not, but in an offseason filled with stories that paint the NFL and its players in a negative light, it's refreshing to see a young player like Thomas pull off an incredibly selfless act.

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Photo via NFL.com