PALM CITY, Fla. — A Palm City teen's heroic action at a college football game has him on the path to receive a national award.
Our story begins in November of 2019, not at the Super Bowl, but the Shula Bowl.
14 year-old John Dye is in the stands at Florida Atlantic University with his family and his mom’s work colleagues.
“I usually don’t like watching sports, I’d rather just play them," said John from his home this week.
But he would get in the action soon enough.
At halftime, the kickers were getting in some practice.
“Every once in a while a ball would get into the stands and you’d hear a big crash," recalled Judy Dye, John's mother.
"And I was thinking someone is going to get hit," added John.
A few minutes later, a football came hurtling toward John’s group, and the 8th grader reacted.
“All of a sudden he just leapt out of his seat and threw his hand out in front of one of folks in our party right in front of her face and I thought ‘Oh my gosh what are you doing?", said Judy Dye. “He was thrown back into his seat screaming.”
Realizing he needed medical attention, an ambulance took John from the field.
“I kind of held my arm up to my face and I looked at my arm and there was a little bit of a divot like this," John said.
X-rays confirmed the damage, a broken arm in two places.
A year of rehab followed.
Despite that setback, John was just following the Scout Oath and Law.
“A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”
Now, John will be receiving the Medal of Merit from the Boy Scouts, though he doesn’t get the fuss.
“He doesn’t see it as a grand heroic act where he saved a life," said Judy Dye.
“I wasn’t really thinking about scouts.”
John will be honored by the BoyScouts Gulfstream Council in April.
