Zoey Gore forgot about football and flew into his father’s arms Saturday, greeting Derrick Gore’s return from 15 months in Iraq with tears of joy.
The 10-year-old remained in Derrick’s embrace as his father helped to remove the boy’s helmet. Minutes ticked by as the two murmured quietly to each other, the boy too overcome with emotion to return to the field.
“You all right?” Derrick said. “You ready to play? Or you want to hang out?”
The boy answered by trotting back to his Orange Crush teammates, who were about to compete in the Broomfield Youth Football’s Association Super Bowl.
It was the first time Derrick, 35, had seen his son play.
Derrick’s arrival Saturday at the field at Broomfield High School in time for the game was never a sure thing. A chopper he was riding in over hostile territory crashed, and the Army is still investigating to determine if enemy fire brought it down. Derrick’s back was hurt in the crash, though not seriously.
Zoey’s team lost the game with the Eagles 6-0, but that couldn’t destroy the day.
The reunion with his dad was everything Zoey had been hoping for, and a boost to his morale going into the big game. “It felt like the greatest day of my life,” Zoey said. “I think I am going to play much stronger.”
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
