Brandon Jacobs is a man of his word.
Last month, the San Francisco 49ers running back tweeted a picture of a letter he received from Joseph Armento, a 6-year-old fan who had emptied out his piggy bank -- all $3.36 of it -- with the hopes it would keep Jacobs from leaving the New York Giants in free agency.
Jacobs was genuinely touched by Armento's gesture and pledged that he would meet with the boy. The meeting happened Wednesday, when Jacobs was back in New Jersey to collect his belongings and continue his moving process to the West Coast.
Jacobs, along with his young son, took Armento and his brother to a local Jump On In bounce house, where the group played for two hours straight, according to The Sacramento Bee.
"He told me he really wanted to get out there with the kids," Julie Armento, Joseph's mother, said in a telephone interview. "He really wanted to enjoy it, and he did. It was amazing."
Jacobs gave Joseph a signed Giants helmet and a $5 bill, paying back the boy with interest for his $3.36 investment in his favorite player.
"When we first spoke, he said that he was genuinely touched by the letter, that it almost brought him to tears," Julie said. "He said it came at just the right time for him."
Jacobs can be an easy target at times, but a story like this shows the guy gets it. The 49ers might have themselves a new fan.
