Florida State lineman has tearful reunion with Navy officer brother (Video)
Florida State offensive lineman Derrick Kelly had an unforgettable reunion with his brother on Saturday.
Kelly’s brother, Derrickus, is an officer in the U.S. Navy who is stationed in Hawaii. Before FSU’s spring game at Doak Campbell Stadium, a video played showing Derrickus apologizing for not being able to attend the game.
But that was all part of the plan. As the video continued to play, Derrickus ran out onto the field to greet his brother with a big hug — a hug two years in the making. It was an emotional scene.
TEARJERKER ALERT: East Gadsden grad and @FSUFootball lineman Derrick Kelly got a surprise visit from his brother, who serves in the Navy and who Derrick hasn't seen in two years. @abc27 pic.twitter.com/sRsckW0vFr
— Alison Posey (@AlisonPosey14) April 15, 2018
“We cried a little bit out there,” said Derrickus, who is stationed in Wahiawa, Hawaii, and traveled roughly 15 hours to reach Tallahassee.
“I haven’t seen him in two years. There were times when all I felt like I had was my brothers. So it felt good.”
The special moment for the Kelly brothers was another piece of the puzzle of FSU’s first spring game with Willie Taggart as head coach. Taggart, who returned to his home state of Florida after one season as head coach at Oregon, told reporters he knew of the planned reunion for a few weeks. When it finally came to fruition, he admitted he got a little choked up.
“It was special,” Taggart said.
Taggart is relying on Kelly as a veteran presence on the Seminoles offensive line. The senior has 19 career starts, including 13 last year at both guard and tackle.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
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