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Jeremiah Moon spent his college football days playing for the Florida Gators. During his sophomore season, the linebacker gifted a young Gators football fan, Jacob Long, a pair of fame-worn cleats.
The football star and fan also took a photo together to capture the moment. "I guess I was feeling good," Moon said earlier this week as he recalled the exchange. "I was just feeling generous."
Six years later, Long made it clear he did not forget Moon's generous gesture. Moon went undrafted out of college, but ultimately signed with the Baltimore Ravens. The team cruised to its sixth straight win this past Sunday, and after the game, Moon was a part of an unexpected reunion.
Long is now a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps and serves as an aviation mechanic. He participated in the pregame flyover crew ahead of the Ravens New Year's Eve game against the Miami Dolphins.
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Jeremiah Moon, #48 of the Baltimore Ravens, lines up during an NFL preseason game between the Washington Commanders and the Baltimore Ravens at FedExField on Aug. 21, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Long was able to spend a few moments with Moon after the Ravens' 56-19 victory. The 25-year-old defender took to social media on Wednesday to share some details about the special reunion.
"After a @GatorsFB game in 2017, I met Jacob Long and gave him a pair of cleats. 6 years later, Jacob is now a Marine and was in the flyover crew at the @Ravens game this past weekend.
"I was able to meet him and his family and sign the same pair of cleats. Crazy how life works!," Moon wrote on X along with a picture of their previous interaction and the recent reunion.
Moon also shared footage of Long's flyover.
Long's mother contacted the Ravens and shared the story about what happened six years ago. She then sent the cleats to the team.
Moon autographed the cleats after last Sunday's game.
Jeremiah Moon, #48 of the Baltimore Ravens, lines up during an NFL preseason game between the Washington Commanders and the Baltimore Ravens at FedExField on Aug. 21, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
"It was just a full-circle moment," said Moon. "Jacob is huge now. He was only 13 the first picture and now he's 19 and he's about as tall as me now. He's doing big things, which is so cool."
Moon spent some of the season on the Ravens' practice squad, but he was elevated to the active roster shortly before Baltimore's Week 15 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jeremiah Moon, #48 of the Baltimore Ravens, reacts after making a tackle against the Washington Commanders during an NFL preseason game at FedExField on Aug. 21, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Moon had eight tackles and forced a fumble during the Ravens Week 5 game against the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
Moon dealt with a string of injuries throughout his six-year career at Florida and earned a medical redshirt after making just two appearances in 2016. He returned to Gainesville for the 2021 season after he was granted an additional year of eligibility following the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.
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Moon finished his tenure at Florida with 151 tackles and eight sacks. The Ravens will enter the NFL playoffs as the top seed in the AFC.
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