One of the first cliches youth sports coaches drill into impressionable young athletes is about "respecting your opponent."
That value, however, represents a paradox: It's difficult to think about "respect" when you're physically driving an opposing player into the ground or dunking on them. Moreso, in an age where athlete celebrations and taunting are amusingly received as viral sensations, the reaction after the play almost supersedes the play itself.
One Michigan high school football player, however, is going viral for his on-field reaction -- not for a big play, but for an opponent in need of a little help.
During last Friday's game against Laingsburg, Dansville junior defensive end Clay Soule had his sights set on Laingsburg's Kevin Koenig, but not because he wanted to tackle him into the dirt -- he wanted to get down and help Koenig tie his shoe during a stoppage in play.
"He was trying to tie his shoe with his gloves on and he couldn't do it," Soule told The Lansing State Journal. "I asked him if he wanted me to tie his shoe, and I just went over there and tied it for him. I didn't think twice about it. I think he was surprised."
Soule's team went on to win the game 35-20. Score one for karma.
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