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Falcons receiver shares letter from mother saying he inspired her son during flight

 
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu comes down with a catch in front of Bucs cornerback Vernon Hargreaves during a game in Tampa in November. [CHARLIE KAIJO   |   Times]
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu comes down with a catch in front of Bucs cornerback Vernon Hargreaves during a game in Tampa in November. [CHARLIE KAIJO | Times]
Published April 26, 2017

Even in private moments, athletes can find themselves in the public eye.

In the case of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, something as simple as his behavior on a routine flight recently became a source of inspiration for a young athlete.

Sanu on Friday tweeted a photo of a letter a woman who sat behind him along with her son handed him as he disembarked. She told him to read it later and walked away.

"This definitely put a smile on my face,'' Sanu tweeted, "the little things.''

"You don't know us,'' the letter began. "But we wanted to thank you.''

The mother wrote that her 10-year-old son, who had recently made an elite hockey team and was traveling to Connecticut for training, had watched Sanu study his plays, make healthy food choices and interact politely with others during the flight.

"You are an inspiration to children,'' the woman wrote, "and for that you should be proud!''

The letter was signed, "The family who sat behind you,'' along with a smiley face.

Asked later by a Twitter follower what snacks he had been eating, Sanu replied, "a banana and some cranapple.''