The Green Bay Packers released Brett Swain on Sunday. He wasn't just a backup wide receiver. He is a class act too. He made a graceful exit on Twitter, and he was featured in an AP story on the team's tradition of having players ride children's bicycles to and from practice. From the Washington Post:
With dozens of kids screaming, "Here! Here! Here!," carrying signs and calling to Green Bay Packers players, 9-year-old Elyse Ark doesn’t do anything fancy to get wide receiver Brett Swain’s attention. He first saw her standing quietly with her hand raised in 2008 and they’ve been riding bicycles together ever since...
Those three years created a special bond. Swain and his wife, Mary, have been to Ark’s house for dinner and Mary Swain even asked Ark to accompany her to a Packers game. Ark created a bright green sign with Swain’s name, jersey No. 16 and photos of him.
I spoke with Swain while I was in Dallas for the Super Bowl, and he seemed to be very patient and soft spoken as he tolerated my random questions. Best of luck to him in his future endeavors.