When it comes to professional athletes and Twitter, the posts mostly boil down to shout outs to pals, dinner plans and running commentary on NBA playoff games. Brandon Jacobs' account, however, held something more meaningful this week.
On Wednesday the 49ers running back used the platform to share a letter he received from a six-year-old Giants fan in New Jersey who cobbled together his life savings -- $3.36 from his piggy bank - in the hope it would allow Jacobs to return to the Giants.
"I hope this letter finds you well," Joseph Armento said in a letter typed out by his mother. "Congratulations on the Superbowl win! Our family will miss you next year, but we wish you all the very best in San Francisco."
Jacobs -- @gatorboy45 -- took a picture of the letter along with the money inside - two $1 bills, a $1 coin, three dimes and six pennies - and posted them to his Twitter account. He also posted his reaction: "I almost cried, I am still trying to hold it in. I may have to pay him a surprise visit."
After Thursday's practice, Jacobs said it was something he hoped every athlete could experience. "It meant a lot to me and gave me a lot of motivation," he said. "I want to do good and go out there and do the best I can for little Joe. After thinking about it since it happened, I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life."
The driving forces behind the letter - kind heartedness and free agency.
Before Joseph's message, the boy's mother, Julie Armento, explained to Jacobs that her son asked why he and former Giants receiver Mario Manningham, who also is now a 49er, are no longer with the Giants. She said she explained that the Giants did not have enough money to keep them. "So, in an effort to convince you to return to NY he wrote you the enclosed letter, and included money for you from his piggy bank," she wrote.
Jacobs stands to earn a bit more this season if he makes the team. In March, he signed a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $2 million.
Still, the $3.36 served as a fantastic bonus for Jacobs, who said he was thinking about taking Joseph to Chuck E. Cheese. "When I go back to New Jersey, we are going to have some fun together," Jacobs said.
-- Matt Barrows
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