As someone who writes about sports, I usually focus on big plays, game outcomes, playoff hopes, or players' impact on the field. During the holiday season, it’s good to acknowledge that our gridiron heroes are just people navigating through some of the same challenges we all face.
Perhaps no member of the Indianapolis Colts serves as a more personal reminder of that to me than Ryan Kelly.
As most fans may already know, Ryan and his wife Emma experienced tragedy when their first child, Mary Kate, was stillborn in December of 2021. It’s difficult to wrap one's head around what that must feel like, and there is no question that a football game is the last thing on anyone’s mind when you learn that someone has gone through something so hard.