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SALT LAKE CITY — Nine-year-old Cade Draper thought his father was taking him to the dentist on Tuesday afternoon. Instead, Cade went to go meet a football legend that even helped excuse Cade for missing school.
Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young was going to be in downtown Salt Lake City at Deseret Book on Tuesday, signing copies of his new book, “QB: My Life Beyond the Spiral.” Cade’s dad, Jake Draper, found out about the signing and checked Cade out of school, originally telling his son he was going to the dentist.
“Aw, really?” Cade said, describing his reaction to when his father told him they were going to the dentist.
Cade was thrilled to learn later that he wasn’t going to the dentist, but he would instead get to meet an all-time football great.
“No, we’re not really going to the dentist. We’re going to meet Steve Young,” Jake Draper said he told his son once both were in the car. “And then he (Cade) went crazy.”
While standing in line at the bookstore, Cade’s father thought it would be a great souvenir if Steve Young signed a note excusing Cade for missing school.
“How fun would it be if Steve Young gave him an excuse note,” said Jake Draper.
Cade's father used the back of a ticket as a makeshift excuse note.
Cade said the former BYU and San Francisco 49ers quarterback was very nice, despite Cade wearing a different football player’s jersey.
“Steve was really nice, kind of quiet, but very kind. He didn’t say anything about my Von Miller jersey,” Cade said.
“After he signed our books, we asked him if he would mind signing the excuse note,” Jake Draper said. “He read the note, laughed a little and said, ‘I’ll sign that!’
“An autographed book is obviously awesome, but the little note made it that much more special.”
When Cade returned to school, he showed the note to his principal. Cade said his principal was ecstatic when she saw the note.
“She started rubbing the note all over her and screamed at the top of her lungs,” Cade said.
Cade said his principal excused him, but the 9-year-old insisted on keeping the note. Cade said he's still in awe that he met a football legend.
“I just met an all-time Pro Bowl and Super Bowl winning quarterback,” Cade said.
Cade is a huge football fan. He said he wears a football jersey almost every day. His dad said Cade’s junior football team is playing for the Mini Bowl League Championship in the Wasatch Front Football League at Weber State University this coming Saturday.
Contributing: Brianna Bodily
