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Derrick Barnes paying it forward to Boys & Girls Club after his own inspiring story

If you’re a die-hard Detroit Lions fan, you likely heard about the awesome story last year about rookie linebacker Derrick Barnes and long-time veteran offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth. The story was first written up by The Athletic, but Whitworth retold the story during his acceptance speech for his 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year award win.

In short, Whitworth noticed that during the Lions vs. Rams game last year, Barnes kept staring at him, curiously. When the game was finally over, Barnes finally confronted Whitworth, letting him know that the two had actually met a long time ago.