Cooper Kupp meets up with TikTok-famous 97-year-old WWII veteran before Panthers-Rams

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Sarah Barshop/ESPN

4:26 PM ET

  • Sarah BarshopESPN Staff Writer

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    • Covered the Packers for ESPN Milwaukee
    • Marquette University graduate

INGLEWOOD, California -- As Cooper Kupp ran to the sideline, 97-year-old World War II seasoned William Goode's eyes lit up.

Goode's communicative precocious went viral erstwhile TikTok influencer Isaiah Garza filmed a video of the brace going to Disneyland together. As of Sunday, the video has been viewed much than 16 cardinal times. One of those views was Kupp, who knows Garza due to the fact that they are some from Yakima, Washington.

Kupp invited Goode and Garza to the Los Angeles Rams' Week 6 crippled against the Carolina Panthers and had the accidental to conscionable up with some men earlier the game. Kupp said past week that helium thought it was benignant of Garza to bash thing bully for Goode, and erstwhile helium heard Goode was a Rams fan, helium wanted to invitation him to the game.

Before the game, Cooper Kupp met William Goode, a World War II veteran. Kupp invited Goode to the crippled and signed a personalized jersey for him. pic.twitter.com/INuGIvlsxy

— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) October 16, 2022

"[Kupp is] a peculiar quality being and it shows that helium has a large heart," Garza said.

When Garza told Goode helium was going to conscionable Kupp, Goode burst into a smile.

"Oh my gosh," Goode said. "He's the best. I don't judge it."

Garza said they came up with the thought for the archetypal video wherever they took Goode to Disneyland due to the fact that they wanted to marque a elder national smile.

"I deliberation a batch of people, veterans, elder citizens, they're near retired a batch successful life," Garza said. "And I deliberation they merit a 2nd chance. And I conscionable privation to beryllium that idiosyncratic to marque him consciousness similar helium has a 2nd accidental astatine life. And adjacent though he's this age, helium doesn't consciousness this age. And I consciousness similar I conscionable privation to marque him consciousness similar helium has beingness backmost successful him and immoderate psyche backmost successful him."

As Kupp ran backmost onto the tract for warm-ups, Goode looked astir the sideline.

"I'll ne'er hide that," helium said.

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