In honor of the Super Bowl, we’re sharing an extra Story of Joy this week. Joseph Ossai, a defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals, played an incredible game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game. He was a key part of a Bengals defense that slowed down star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the vaunted Chiefs offense. In spite of his great play throughout the game, Ossai will be remembered for the second to last play of the game. The game was tied when Mahomes scrambled towards the sideline around midfield hoping to pick up a few extra yards before running out of bounds. As Mahomes reached the sidelines, a hustling Ossai hit him out of bounds. Flags flew, and the Bengals were penalized 15 yards for the late hit. This penalty allowed the Chiefs to attempt a game winning 45-yard field goal that would send them to the Super Bowl. As the ball sailed through the uprights, the camera panned to a distraught Ossai to reveal the tears in his eyes. BJ Hill, a fellow Bengals defensive lineman, knew that when the media entered the locker room, they would flock to Ossai to ask about that fateful play. Hill quickly made up his mind that he would stand beside Ossai, put his arm around him, and call out media questions here and there that didn’t seem fair to ask an obviously emotional Ossai. When Hill was asked why he stood beside his teammate, he said, “Because he is my brother” . . . we should all be blessed with a friend like that. Click the link below to read the story.
Stories of Joy 