Derek Jeter Calls Victoria Soto's Mother After Slain Sandy Hook Teacher's Funeral

In the wake of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., several prominent athletes have done their part to show their support for the families of the 26 victims. Among them is Derek Jeter, who unexpectedly offered condolences to the family of Victoria Soto on Wednesday, the day she was laid to rest. The 27-year-old Soto, a teacher at Sandy Hook, ushered her students into a closet and was killed while trying to shield them from the gunman.

The Yankees' captain called Soto's mother, Donna, after hearing that the slain teacher was a die-hard Yankees fan, the Daily News notes.

"Vicki loved the Yankees -- that was part of her eulogy," Soto's cousin, James Wiltsie, told the Daily News. "No one in the family reached out, so [Jeter] must have heard about it and ... reached out."

After the call, Soto's sister, Carlee -- the subject of the now-iconic photo capturing the horror of the day -- expressed her gratitude to both Jeter and the Yankees for the kind gesture.

As Mike Greenberg of ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning pointed out, Jeter's act was done with little fanfare and would not have been made public had Soto's family not discussed it in both traditional and social media.

Several other athletes have also reached out to those affected by the shooting, including another New York sports star. Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz visited the family of Jack Pinto after the six-year-old Giants fan was buried in a replica Cruz jersey.