12-year-old boy whose family died in house fire given Super Bowl tickets

ATLANTA — A 12-year-old boy whose sister, mother and grandmother died in a house fire last month was given tickets to the Super Bowl.

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Taeden Johnson, who escaped the house fire with burns to his chest and arms, was given the tickets Friday by Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett, CBS News reported.

Johnson, who has dreams of playing in the NFL, has never been to a game before. Jarrett encouraged Johnson to pursue his dreams.

“Yes sir, you can do it,” Jarrett said. “Gotta work hard. You can do it. Work hard, make sure you maintain those good grades. Just gotta believe yourself.”

Johnson’s sister, mother and grandmother were killed in a house fire Jan. 27, WSB-TV reported. Johnson was able to escape after trying to save his mother and sister. The cause of the fire is under investigation

A crowd sourced funding account was set up to help Johnson with future expenses and serve as a college fund. Anthony Edwards, a Minnesota Timberwolves rookie who attended the University of Georgia, and Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas have helped raise awareness to it. Organizers have raised more than $225,000 for Johnson.

Cox Media Group