American football player befriends boy with autism and it would move a heart of stone

The type of story that puts a smile on your face.

Bo Paske is a student at Montford Middle School in Tallahassee, Florida and he has autism. The teenage boy often eats lunch on his own which is something his mother Leah worries about constantly but for one day she didn't have to. Travis Rudolph plays American football for the Florida State Seminoles and recently, he visited Bo's school with his teammates. He noticed Bo sitting on his own and so, he decided to go over and have the chats with him. Travis had some pizza while Bo tucked into his packed lunch with the encounter captured by a friend of Leah's. Leah was so moved by the image that she penned an emotional Facebook post which is worth taking three minutes out of your day for. It was posted less than 24 hours ago and has almost 10,000 shares which is an indicator of how much her words have resonated with people. If you're wondering what made Travis stop and hang with Bo, the reason is incredibly lovely. The successful sports star told ESPN:

"I was just a kid not too long ago and I remember what the impact was of guys that played in college and in the NFL coming back to us". "So I feel like maybe I can change someone's life or I can make someone a better person or make someone want to be great or be like me, or even better".

Just spoke with #FSU WR Travis Rudolph. He told me he read the mother's post before practice and that it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

— Kenny Morales (@KennyMoralesTV) August 30, 2016

Tear. Below is Leah's post in full:

Several times lately I have tried to remember my time in middle school, did I like all my teachers, do I even remember them? Did I have many friends? Did I sit with anyone at lunch? Just how mean were kids really? I remember one kid on the bus called me "Tammy Fay Baker" bc I started awkwardly wearing eye liner in the sixth grade, I remember being tough and calling him a silly name back, but when he couldn't see me anymore I cried. I do remember middle school being scary, and hard. Now that I have a child starting middle school, I have feelings of anxiety for him, and they can be overwhelming if I let them. Sometimes I'm grateful for his autism. That may sound like a terrible thing to say, but in some ways I think, I hope, it shields him. He doesn't seem to notice when people stare at him when he flaps his hands. He doesn't seem to notice that he doesn't get invited to birthday parties anymore. And he doesn't seem to mind if he eats lunch alone. It's one of my daily questions for him. Was there a time today you felt sad? Who did you eat lunch with today? Sometimes the answer is a classmate, but most days it's nobody. Those are the days I feel sad for him, but he doesn't seem to mind. He is a super sweet child, who always has a smile and hug for everyone he meets. A friend of mine sent this beautiful picture to me today and when I saw it with the caption "Travis Rudolph is eating lunch with your son" I replied "who is that?" He said "FSU football player", then I had tears streaming down my face. Travis Rudolph, a wide receiver at Florida State, and several other FSU players visited my sons school today. I'm not sure what exactly made this incredibly kind man share a lunch table with my son, but I'm happy to say that it will not soon be forgotten. This is one day I didn't have to worry if my sweet boy ate lunch alone, because he sat across from someone who is a hero in many eyes. Travis Rudolph thank you so much, you made this momma exceedingly happy, and have made us fans for life! #travisrudolph #gonoles #FSU #autismmom #fansforlife Image via Facebook: Leah Paske