A week later, Jahlil Petgrave is still in shock that his son played football with Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken and cornerback Marlon Humphrey at Ravens training camp.
Petgrave tried to get passes to Ravens training camp for years but had struck out until this year. They felt fortunate to get into their first practice last Tuesday, but they hit the lottery afterwards when Monken came over toward the bleachers and picked his son out of the crowd.
Monken lifted soon-to-be 9-year-old Kai over the gate where players come to sign autographs for throngs of screaming kids after every practice and took him on the field for some catch. After a few passes, Monken looped in Humphrey.
After Humphrey autographed Kai's jersey, the two squared off – one-on-one. On the first play, Humphrey lifted Kai off his feet and took him to the ground – eliciting Monken to throw a clear defensive pass interference penalty. On their second play, Kai turned on the jets to get behind the Pro Bowler and catch a touchdown pass.
"I was freaking out, the people next to me were freaking out, we were all just freaking out together," Petgrave said. "Then Marlon picks him up, swings him around, and I'm like, 'This cannot be life right now.'
"I can't stop watching it. Over a hundred times, no lie. I showed everyone in my office. I sent it to everyone I know. Me and him have been watching it over and over and over again."
Kai's special experience at Ravens training camp is nothing new. Monken picks a kid out of the crowd after every practice to help them get autographs and throw the football with. Monken has been doing it for years.
The son of a football coach, Monken has been around the gridiron his entire life. He had many post-practice catches over the years. But giving other kids a taste of his childhood isn't why he does it.
"It doesn't take much," he said. "You see kids over there, and they're doing everything in their power to get an autograph. They're screaming. The only thing I can do is to make it a little easier, throw a ball with them, take them to get autographs.
"Why not? Was that very hard for me? Isn't that what we're supposed to do as people? I get more out of it, to be honest – I promise you that. To see someone smile and laugh, isn't that what we're supposed to do?"
Petgrave and Kai live in Crofton, Md., and they've bonded over their shared love of the Ravens. Wearing No. 8 for Lamar Jackson, Kai plays running back/linebacker/safety for his local 9U football team. He had his second football practice of the new season that night after going to Ravens training camp. Kai called his coach immediately after the interaction and regaled his teammates with the story.
"He's still talking about it to this day. We both are," Petgrave said. "That just gave him an extra boost right there. He was like, 'I want to be out there [playing football] so bad now.' I'm like, 'Dude, this is a sign. Just keep going, keep trying, keep working hard.' He gave my son the extra boost that he needed in life.
"We're just blessed, honestly, because this is something we could carry forever, and you don't get many of these moments. Just a special memory, a lifetime memory."
