Feb 3, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) during Super Bowl LIX Opening Night at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
A.J. Brown might be concentrating on the offensive game plan this week for the Eagles as they prepare to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, but he's also keeping tabs on a touching story from back home in Philadelphia.
When Brown heard of the story of 10-year-old Andre "Trey" Howard, who was injured in the Northeast Philadelphia plane crash while shielding his younger sister from flying debris, he decided to reach out to the young hero via social media.
Speedy recovery!
You are a Hero young man!
I’m going to come see you when I get back. Hopefully with some hardware. Playing for you on Sunday my man 💪🏾🫶🏽 https://t.co/pUtf2Zsoh2
"Playing for you Sunday, my man," Brown finished his post on X after promising to visit Howard when the Eagles come home from New Orleans next week.
Howard's story is touching on many levels. First, protecting his younger sister while debris from the plane crash was flying through the windows of his father's car. Howard was hit with a piece of metal in the head and he was in critical condition. But after emergency brain surgery at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital - a hospital that doesn't normally perform such procedures on children - Howard was transferred to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where he is recovering.
He awoke for the first time Monday and the first thing he asked his father was if he missed the Super Bowl.
Fortunately, he didn't.
And now, he's got a date with Brown after the big game, and maybe Brown will have a trophy to bring by the hospital for Howard to see.
Howard was visited earlier this week by his favorite athlete, Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Howard has a long road to recovery, according to both his parents Andre Howard Jr. and LaShawn Hamiel.
His mom has created a GoFundMe for Trey, and as of this publication nearly $78,000 has been raised, including a generous $1,000 donation from the X community following the account @DrunkPhilsFans.
We are proud to announce that on behalf of you and DPF, we have made a $6000 total donation to the affected victims of the NE Philly Plane Crash.
5k was via our merch drive and 1k from DPF.
We split into 2K donations equally to Andre Howard III, Ramesses, and Alexis’s familie… pic.twitter.com/cL1i87w54s
The account, which usually comments on the Phillies and baseball, but sometimes ventures off into other sports, asked it's followers to donate to a cause to raise money for several victims of the plane crash, including Howard. The online community raised $6,000 which was distributed amongst various Go Fund Me campaign, including Howard's.
