Broncos fans are already showing love for fifth-round draft pick Jake Butt, the All-American tight end out of Michigan. They named him their favorite draft pick in our post-draft poll, and now they have yet another reason to like one of the newest Broncos.

On Tuesday evening, Butt posted an incredible story on Twitter about a man who changed the course of his life, Greg Gillum.Gillum held various administrative positions at Ohio State University during the Jim Tressel era. That caused him to cross paths with Jake Butt, born and raised in Pickerington, Ohio. A decade ago to the month, Gillum visited his son’s classroom to speak about his job. A young Jake Butt was in that classroom.

Butt, then a sixth grader, was so inspired meeting Gillum that he penned a letter to the OSU staffer. We’ve transcribed the letter here, verbatim.

May 25, 2007

Dear Mr. Gillum,

Thank you for taking time out of your day to inform me about sports careers. Now I’m sure what I truely want to be when I grow up, a pro football player. After you came in to talk to us about what it’s like, I know it’s gonna be a lot harder thought to reach my goal, but I’m going to try my hardest. Thanks for the tips on how you don’t just need to be good at sports, but also at school. Now, whether I like it or not I’m gonna be prepared for every test, finish all my homework, and always have good posture in class. Not only was it cool to learn those things but also to meet someone from the buckeye staff. Again, thank you for taking time out of your day to come inform us.

Sincerely,
Jake Butt

The amazing thing about the letter isn’t that Butt went on to achieve his dream (although that’s no small feat). What’s so amazing is that Gillum kept the letter and returned it to Butt in the days after he was selected in the NFL Draft. In a corresponding message on Twitter, Butt wrote the following:

A family friend just dropped this off and man it’s a hell of a gift. This was at the end of my 6th grade year almost 10 years ago. A classmate of mine brought his dad in, who was part of Jim Tressels staff at the time. This was after my first year of playing football. He spoke on what it takes to become a successful student athlete and play at the college level. I still remember that speech like it was yesterday and carry many of the lessons with me through everyday life. Here we are 10 years later and he returned the letter as a gift. Mr Gillum, thank you for helping me spark a career long before I had any idea what the game would mean to me.

Not only did Butt follow through on his goal to become a professional, he was twice named an All-American and in 2016 was named to the All-Academic Big Ten team.

Butt called the letter a top-five gift he’s ever received. It’s a truly moving example of the power that a mentor and positive influence can have on a young athlete.

View both images by clicking the post below: