News February 07, 2022
NFL’s Anthony Harris Takes Young Fan to Father-Daughter Dance After Her Dad’s Death
Philadelphia Eagles safety Anthony Harris just made an 11-year-old girl’s dream come true after the tragic deaths of her father and grandpa.
As reported by ABC News, Holly — the mother of Texas girl Audrey Soape — reached out to her daughter’s favorite football player ahead of her school’s “Daddy-Daughter Dance.”
“It’s kind of far-fetched... It’s a big ask,” Holly told the news outlet. “I just asked if he would come, if he’d be willing to come. And he said, ‘Not only will I come, I want to make sure she feels like a princess.’”
Per the outlet, Anthony not only flew to Texas for the dance, he also covered the cost of Audrey’s dress, shoes, hair, and makeup!
“He had a car with a driver come to the house and pick her up,” Holly said. “He really wanted to make sure she had the best possible time.”
The NFL star also made sure to meet Aubrey’s brother Jackson, who said he was “really happy” about Anthony’s arrival.
“It made me feel really happy and feel special because he didn’t only come over just to go to the ‘Daddy-Daughter Dance’ with Audrey, he came over to see me, too,” Jackson said.
Though Audrey was “really nervous” about the dance and was “worried all week that I was going to mess up,” the entire evening made her feel “very special.”
“I was very happy, and I also felt very special because not a lot of stuff happened to people like this, and especially me,” Audrey said.
In photos taken by @vemberphoto, Anthony is seen surprising Audrey, who got her hair done for the special occasion.
“this sassy, hilarious, beautiful 11 year old got the surprise of HER LIFE last night when her hero and idol, Philadelphia Eagles Safety, @antharris showed up to escort her to a dance she’d been looking forward to!” the photographer wrote, adding, “This sweet moment was an ab👏🏼so👏🏼lute joy to capture!!”
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In a video taken by Holly Soape, Anthony is seen escorting Audrey into the dance.
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Later, in an interview with NBC10, Anthony told the channel he was “just trying to be a human” with regard to Audrey’s story.
“Trying to take off the helmet, trying to take off the cape of what I do professionally and just show some sympathy for that family and try to show some support there,” he said.
“You gotta cherish these moments. You never know how long we have here on this Earth,” he added. “So, the people that you care about and you love, show support for them.”
Overall, Holly is grateful for Anthony’s generosity, and hopes that this moment has lifted her daughter’s spirits following her losses.
“We would all do anything for our kids when we see them suffering,” Holly told ABC News. “To know that there are people out there who will also help be there for your kids and for you, it’s really encouraging for me, and it’s sort of turned this horrible tragedy into sort of this triumphant moment.”
